New Delhi: Former skipper Anil Kumble’s ability to boost confidence of the players makes him an ideal candidate for the role of chairman of selectors, said Virender Sehwag, who also advocated a hike in remuneration for the job.
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Never to mince his words, former opener Sehwag said BCCI needs to pay more for heading the selectors’ committee.
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The current selection panel, led by MSK Prasad, has faced a lot of flak for it being a lightweight with a cumulative experience of 13 Tests.
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“I think Anil Kumble could be the right candidate for the chairman of selectors post. He is someone who has interacted with Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly) and Rahul (Dravid) as a player and with youngsters as a coach,” Sehwag told reporters during launch of a new app ‘The Selector’.
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“When I made a comeback (Australia series 2007-08), captain Kumble came to my room and said you will not be dropped for the next two series. That’s the kind of confidence a player needs,” said Sehwag.
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However, Sehwag also said that he doesn’t think that Kumble will agree to do the job right now since the chairman gets Rs 1 crore per annum.
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“BCCI needs to raise bar as far as pay is concerned. Then a lot of players will be interested,” said Sehwag.
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Asked if he would also be interested in this post, Sehwag said that he doesn’t like too many restrictions.
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“I write columns, appear on TV and being selector will mean a lot of restrictions. I don’t know whether I would like so many restrictions,” the Nawab of Najafgarh said.
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Sehwag, who had lost the race to be India’s coach in 2017 to Ravi Shastri, said that he did not apply this time.
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“In 2017, the BCCI secretary and (late) Dr MV Sridhar (GM Cricket Operations) asked me to apply so I applied. This time no one asked me, so I didnt apply,” said Sehwag when asked if he was amused in the manner Shastri was re-appointed the coach.
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Sehwag also said he finds it difficult to comprehend the conflict of interest rules.
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“I can understand that I can’t run an academy if I am a selector but if I am the national coach I don’t understand why I can’t run an academy,” he said.
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As the talk veered towards playing XI for the first Test against West Indies, Sehwag’s vote went to Ajinkya Rahane if India played five bowlers.
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“Ajinkya Rahane has been batting at No 4 (No 5) so if it is a case of five bowlers then he should play. Rohit Sharma comes in only if you go with four bowlers,” Sehwag reasoned.
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He also felt that “Mahendra Singh Dhoni should have batted at number five” in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
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“Players like Hardik Pandya, who can play big shots should have come in at number seven towards the end,” said the former India captain.
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He also expressed his happiness at S Sreesanth’s life ban being reduced to seven years.
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“I am very happy for him. He now needs to play domestic cricket,” he said.
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Sehwag was amused when he was asked about suggestions on wearing neck guards in the wake of Steve Smith recent injury.
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Smith took a blow from England pacer Jofra Archer in the second Ashes Test and has ruled out of the third Ashes Test due to concussion.
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“Why do you need to show your neck to the bowler? You have a bat and you are wearing a helmet. In my entire career, I never used chest pads,” Sehwag said.
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A member of NADA’s anti-doping appeals panel (ADAP), Sehwag said filling the whereabouts clause was a real problem that bothered the Indian cricketers.
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BCCI recently agreed to be NADA-compliant after years of resistance.
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“I have appeared for many dope tests. Even in domestic cricket when I was out of the team, during IPL. The problem with whereabouts is I can’t pinpoint where I will be at a specific hour of the day on a specific date. I may mention it initially and then I might have a change in plan,” he said.
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