Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who has forever been a voice of reason, urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to expand the bandwidth and role of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), using their expertise to fix whatever is wrong with domestic cricket. Recently, the 1983 World Cup winner had stated that he wasn’t pleased with how Ishan Kishan-led East Zone went about its business in the Duleep Trophy final and was content with taking the title on the basis of a first innings lead.
The same rule has drawn flak for the past few domestic seasons, and Gavaskar feels that the time has come for the CAC to make its voice heard. The legendary batter also expressed his wish to see the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, among others, making their presence felt and fixing whatever is wrong with Indian cricket.
The latest appointments in the CAC in 2022 were Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik. However, whether the Committee still exists or it’s been disbanded, no one has a clear answer for now. The main task of the committee has always been to appoint head coaches or the selectors, and the three-member panel was previously tasked with holding interviews.
“There are no longer any committees in BCCI today apart from the selection committees and the CAC. Perhaps the time has come to expand the CAC and its brief of selecting the selectors and coach, and also look at fixtures — domestic and international, and all things related to Indian cricket. There are some incredibly experienced former cricketers whose expertise can be utilised to be on this committee,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day.
“How about names like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag — to name a few? The President and Secretary will be there too,” he added.
‘Carries heft’
Gavaskar, who also led India to the 1985 Championship win, said that when the likes of Dravid and Tendulkar interact with the head coach and the head of the NCA, it would carry a different heft altogether. He also urged the BCCI to establish a similar committee for women’s cricket.
“When this committee interacts with the coach and captain and the head of the NCA, it carries a heft beyond measure. A similar committee for women’s cricket, too, where experience and expertise meet to take calls to take Indian cricket forward,” wrote Gavaskar.
“Just thinking about this gives one the goosebumps. Will it ever happen, or is it just a dream?” he concluded.
