The Board Of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited fresh applications for the position of National Selectors for the senior men's side. This came after the Chetan Sharma-led selection panel was fired one month shy of completing their tenure.
The axe fell on the selection panel thanks to India’s poor performance in the past two T20 World Cups and its inability to win an ICC or ACC tournament.
Under their tenure, the Indian team lost the World Test Championship final, got knocked out of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the group stage, comfortably lost a Test series and ODI series in South Africa, and failed to make the final of the Asia Cup.
But India’s exit from the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 after losing to England by 10 wickets proved to be what broke the camel’s back and BCCI sacked the entire selection panel and invited fresh applications.
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After the BCCI invited applications, a fan requested former India opening batter Aakash Chopra to apply for the post. Chopra fulfills the criteria having played 10 Tests for India and retired from the game more than 5 years ago.
“@cricketaakash. You can apply.. All the points that you keep mentioning and sharing in #AakashVani you can implement and help in selecting a better team," the fan tweeted.
To this Chopra replied, "It will be an honour to get this responsibility someday. But not right now. Not for me."
Another cricketer who was asked to apply for the post of selector was former keeper-batter, Parthiv Patel. Patel played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and 2 T20Is for India from 2002-2018, but he is ineligible to apply as he retired from cricket only in 2020.
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“@parthiv9 for Indian selector - Who says no. Great thinker/analyst of the game, played plenty of domestic & international, knows the players well, scouts youngsters, and recent T20/IPL experience,” a Twitter user posted.
Parthiv quoted this tweet and pointed out his ineligibility to apply to say, “Thank you but I don't fit the eligibility criteria for the post at the moment. It would be an honour to be offered the position in the future.”
