Mumbai: In a surprise move, the BCCI appointed former Test batsman Sandeep Patil as the chairman of the totally new-look senior selection committee on Thursday while showing the exit door to Mohinder Amarnath, who was eligible to be reappointed.
The 56-year-old Patil’s appointment to the hot seat by replacing another dashing batsman K Srikkanth came as bolt from the blue, as his name was not even being talked about as a possible candidate prior to the Board’s 83rd Annual General Meeting, which finalised the panel here.
Roger Binny (South), Vikram Rathore (North), Saba Karim (East) and Rajinder Singh Hans (Central) comprise the rest of the new panel which had no place for Amarnath, the man of the match in the 1983 World Cup final which India won. Amarnath has been dropped after just one year in his job.
Not willing to spell out the reason for the ouster of Amarnath, Board president N Srinivasan said the decision not to reappoint him cannot be discussed in public and added that the Board members wanted a new-look committee.
“The term of the selectors is for a maximum of four years but they have to be elected annually. It’s the decision of the BCCI. It’s not a subject for public debate,” Srinivasan told a press conference.
“But the fact is I think BCCI wanted, if possible, a new look selection committee and that’s what we have. The issue is not what is the credential of a X or Y. Basically it’s a one year term extended upto a maximum of four years.
“The process has been going on for quite some time and not just today morning. There has been extensive consultation among Board members for some time,” Srinivasan explained.
According to sources, three units of North were against Amarnath’s re-appointment and his ejec-tion was not unexpected.
Srinivasan said Patil was the best choice.
“We… wanted a person of sufficient stature to be the chairman and Sandeep Patil fits the bill. No one can question his credentials,” he said.
Patil, a dashing batsman in his prime, played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs for India, scoring 1,588 and 1,005 runs in the respective formats.
He was later the India A coach before being at the helm of the senior team.
In another change, Anil Kumble has replaced Sourav Ganguly as the head of the cricket board’s technical committee. (PTI)