The present CAC comprises Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. (Source: PTI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to appoint a new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), the members of which will no longer be honorary. The CAC’s role will still be recommending names for the various selection panels along with coaches for the men’s and women’s teams.
The present CAC comprises Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman and it’s learnt that they can continue to remain paid members of the panel, once they have adhered to the BCCI’s conflict-of-interest rules. It would mean Ganguly will have to step down as Cricket Association of Bengal president and Laxman will have to leave his role as mentor with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Tendulkar will have to recuse himself till the time his son Arjun is in contention for the India under-19 team.
Sources in the Board though are confident of the CAC having fresh members soon. In its final order on Thursday, the Supreme Court had stated, “Until the elections to the BCCI take place, the CoA is empowered to consult with the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising reputed former international cricketers and to constitute a committee of selectors…”.
As per the order, the CoA will first consult the current CAC panel to find out if any of them are willing to stay before finding replacements. The CAC will be appointed at the BCCI Annual General Meeting.
The CAC, once in place, will also look into whether to grant an extension to the present three-member senior selection committee – made up of MSK Prasad (chairman), Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh. It will also decide whether and when Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda, who were axed from the panel in 2017 on the basis of the Lodha recommendations, will be reinstated, as per the new draft constitution.
”The Men’s Selection Committee shall consist of five persons to be appointed by a Cricket Advisory Committee comprising of reputed former international cricketers identified by the BCCI at the annual General Meeting,” is what the order read.