The BCCI selection committee held a press conference yesterday, announcing the squads for the upcoming tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh, which includes a 2 T20Is series, a Test and ODI series as well.
Selection announcements have always proven to be a topic of hot debate, especially during the Chetan Sharma tenure where press conferences and questions related to the squads are not usually conducted. In what could be the present committee’s last press conference, Chetan Sharma certainly gave the pundits and certain players a shock with regards to their selection calls.
The squads announced for the T20Is signal the beginning of a transition phase for the Indian Cricket Team, that has excluded the likes of R Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik and in what could be a sign of things to come, handed over the captaincy mantle to Hardik Pandya. In a promise to reinvent and rejuvenate their T20I cricket, the selectors have certainly made some calls in the opposite direction with the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the squad and an ageing Bhuvneshwar Kumar still being in the mix, despite the next high-profile tournament being 2 years away.
Another notable point was the sudden exclusion of budding leg spinner: Ravi Bishnoi. Leading up to the World Cup, Rahul-Rohit duo displayed immense faith in Bishnoi and provided him with proper gametime to make a claim for the spot but banked on the experience spin wizard Chahal to come good. Kuldeep Yadav getting the nod ahead of Bishnoi after being snubbed for a while, is certainly something that the latter didn’t take well and making his feelings and emotions about the matter quite clear.
Nitish Rana, the left-handed middle order batter has also expressed his disappointed after being snubbed despite a good season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but shouldn’t be too disheartened, going by the fact that his competition in the race is Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and the ever-promising Washington Sundar. Umesh Yadav was included in the squad versus Australia at home after ace pacer Mohammad Shami tested covid positive but was duly dropped after the former proved his fitness. His situation is a clear case of lack of communication from the selectors with regards to his T20I future, as it is evidently clear that India will be heavily investing in the young-pace battery and aim to groom them.
But perhaps the most perplexing exclusion was that of the gifted prodigal talent, Prithvi Shaw. After a dream start to his international career, Shaw has faltered and faced numerous hardships on and off the field but come back roaring with stellar performances in the domestic season across formats. He again joined the bandwagon of players posting cryptic messages or stories in reply to the calls made by the selection committee.
In a world run by social media, it has certainly become easier for players to show dissent, disappointment or react to certain decisions and it also shows how disconnected the selectors are with the players involved in the fray of things. To have players post cryptic messages denoting unhappiness and confusion, paints a bad picture on the BCCI that seems to have no degree of communication with the players with regards to their non-selection and leaves the players fighting for a spot in an insecure position.
With Rahul Dravid being at the helm and always preaching open communication, it is to be seen how the management reacts to the reactions of the players and public and how the players are motivated to continue doing their best and not succumb to the pressures of selection.