Former chief selector Borde welcomes move to interview potential candidates; Sandhu and Rege keen on applying
Chandu Borde
Chandu Borde
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed it received 57 applicants for the post of Team India coach before Anil Kumble got the job a few months ago. The figure would be far more when they receive applications for selectors' posts, an initiative which was announced yesterday by BCCI president Anurag Thakur.
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"We picked the National coach by inviting applications and conducting interviews. The process was transparent and I think the Board did a professional job in giving the responsibility to Anil Kumble," Thakur told The Hindu newspaper yesterday.
The latest move was welcomed by former India captain Chandu Borde, who was chairman of national selectors from 1984 to 1986 and then from 1999 to 2002.
"This initiative will negate favouritism while knowledgeable individuals will pick the selectors. Earlier, one could become a national selector even by playing a handful of first-class matches and favouritism was prevalent in some cases. Here, only the deserving will become selectors," Borde told mid-day from Pune.
Thakur insisted that this move of picking the selectors was not caused by the Lodha Committee recommendations. "Our review petition is pending with the Supreme Court, but I insist that this move is not because of anyone but the Board," he was quoted as saying.
Balwinder Singh Sandhu, the 1983 World Cupper, who applied for the coach's job, said he would throw his hat in the ring.
"I will certainly be keen on applying. I've watched cricket for so many years, have coached Ranji Trophy teams and have an eye for talent. I will never back any player with no potential. I don't compromise with anything where cricket is concerned. This system of selecting the selectors is a fine one. Now, there will be no give-and-take politicking which used to take place earlier and you don't need your association's backing for the job. Like the coaches' interviews, this is a very fair way to go about things," said Sandhu.
Milind Rege, Mumbai's chairman of senior selectors, ought to have been given a go as national selector considering his credentials and experience, but somehow was never picked. He led Mumbai when the star players were away in Australia during the 1977-78 season and has been a junior and senior selector for a good part of the last 32 years.
Rege said he would be keen to apply. "Being a junior selection committee chairman would be ideal for me because talent-spotting vision is my strength. The biggest talent tapped by my committee was Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli at 14-15," said Rege.
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