Just a day after shocking headlines revealed an insufficient number of selectors to pick the senior squad and support staff for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) moved swiftly. Late on Sunday night, they officially unveiled their squad for the first two matches of the prestigious red-ball tournament.
Leading the 15-member team will be Sakibul Gani, while the promising young talent, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has been named his deputy. The selection panel responsible for these appointments includes Vishnu Shankar, Anant Prakash, and Sunil Kumar Singh.
However, an unusual aspect of this announcement is the confidentiality surrounding the identities of two of the officially appointed selectors. In adherence to directives from the Ombudsman, BCCI, and the Supreme Court, their names have been withheld because the full five-member committee has yet to be finalized.
When questioned about how the BCA managed to select a squad with only two qualified selectors, a BCA official explained to a local media outlet: ‘We were in constant communication with the BCCI. A temporary arrangement was made following the Board’s guidance to appoint an additional selector—the next best available candidate from the applications received for senior-level selectors.’
The official further clarified, ‘While this individual doesn’t fully meet all selection criteria, they represent the most suitable choice for the interim. This stop-gap measure received BCCI’s approval, as the Ranji Trophy is just days away, and it’s imperative for us to field a team. We remain hopeful of finalizing the remaining three selectors who fully meet the criteria in the near future.’