MSK Prasad-led three-member national selection panel likely to step down after SC order

The Supreme Court has stepped in to calm the waters between the BCCI and the SC-appointed CoA as the apex court has indicated that a new BCCI constitution is likely to be adopted as per the SC directive and the election process is put in place. The SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, and comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud on Thursday have reverted back to the old five-member selection committee for both senior, junior and also for the women’s teams.

The apex court’s order was a clear indication that Prasad and his colleagues - Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi - will not get an extension as the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) will now be given the task of forming a new five-member panel.

The SC order 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...”.

Furthermore, the controversial eligibility clause which stated that only Test cricketers were allowed to be part of the panel has been done away with. Candidates with a minimum of either seven Tests, 10 ODIs or 30 first-class matches will be eligible to be included in the selection panel.

“They will continue till the elections are held. There is very little chance that this current set of selectors will get an extension once the BCCI Apex Council is formed as per the new constitution based on Lodha Reforms,” a senior BCCI official told PTI sources.

While chief Prasad has been the face of the three-member panel as he reasoned out with the public over the choices made by the committee for various selections, the BCCI were rumored to have never been quite happy with the performance of Gandhi and Singh with questions being raised time and again about their credibility and capability at AGM’s.

But Gagan Khoda is expected join Prasad and Co for a limited amount till the new set of selectors are appointed after he was removed due to his non-eligibility (non-Test player) as per the original Lodha recommendations.