Former India cricket captain Ajinkya Rahane has called for significant changes to the selection system in domestic cricket, suggesting that only recently-retired players should be appointed as selectors. During a discussion with Cheteshwar Pujara on his YouTube channel, Rahane emphasized the importance of having selectors who understand modern cricket’s evolving nature and can help players perform without fear.
Rahane’s proposal aims to modernize the selection process in Indian cricket, particularly at the domestic level. He believes that selectors who have retired within the last five to eight years would be better equipped to understand contemporary cricket’s demands.
Current regulations by the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) allow retired cricketers with over 10 first-class matches experience to become state association selectors after a five-year cooling-off period. The national selection committee has stricter requirements, including a mandatory cooling-off period.
“Players should not be scared of selectors,” Rahane stated during the discussion. “We should have selectors who have retired recently from playing top-flight cricket, those who have retired five-six years, seven-eight years ago. Because the way cricket is evolving, I think it’s very important that the mentality and mindset of the selectors match that and keep pace with the change. The game is evolving.”
Rahane further elaborated on his vision for cricket selection in India. “We don’t want to make decisions based on how cricket was played 20-30 years ago. With formats like T20 and the IPL, it’s important to understand the style of modern cricket players. I believe selectors should, wherever possible, be individuals from all states, and players should be on the ground playing with freedom, playing fearless cricket,” he said.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who retired in August, offered a more balanced perspective on the matter. Under current rules, Pujara would need to wait until 2030 to be eligible for a selector position.
“In big states, this can be implemented because they have so many options. So, wherever possible, I do agree that it can be implemented, but that does mean that any past cricketer, who has got a great record and wants to be a selector now, should be deprived of the chance because he retired long back,” Pujara commented.