East,West oppose selectors extension

The debate over the possible re-appointments of national selectors could be the biggest story at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The East Zone combine of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB),Tripura CA,Jharkhand CA and Assam CA is expected to strongly oppose the re-appointment of selector Raja Venkat in the AGM,to be held at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on September 19 and 20. CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya is likely to ask for another selector to replace the incumbent.

However,the names which East are expected to propose are of Devang Gandhi and Arup Bhattacharya. Meanwhile,West Zone too will ask for a new man in place of selector Surendra Bhave. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have expressed unhappiness over Bhaves perceived failure to push names from Mumbai,despite some of them performing consistently well in the domestic circuit. We are not happy with the selectors and we will definitely ask for a new man for the job, an MCA official said.

Interestingly,selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth had earlier requested BCCI secretary N Srinivasan to relieve him from his duties but it is reliably understood that the boards top official declined the offer.

Many associations are of the opinion that the idea of having zonal selectors should be scrapped and they should be replace by the best five,who could be from any state. In the last working committee meeting a few months ago,many members had asked to change the pattern in which selectors are picked.