During his four-year tenure as the Chairman of the All-India Senior Selection Committee, Sandeep Patil had to make some tough choices where there was no room for emotion. After completing his duties for one last time when the 15-man India Test team for the Paytm Test series against New Zealand was picked, the former India player got a touch emotional before quickly regrouping himself as he addressed the press soon after the selection meeting in Mumbai that was also attended by Test captain Virat Kohli, India Head Coach Anil Kumble and convened by the BCCI Honorary Secretary, Ajay Shirke.
“I want to thank the BCCI for the support they gave. I also want to thank the press because this is our last selection (meeting). We finish our term (and are) very happy to finish on a positive and a happy note,” he said.
With the Board’s policy of selecting 15 players for a home Test series, Patil said that the committee was extremely pleased to have multiple options and a strong bench strength as India get ready to host 13 Test matches involving New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia. “Generally, when Indian team tours abroad, we have a bigger pool of 16-17 or 18 players. In a home series, the players are available and it is not that we have just 15. We have a bigger pool, and the BCCI, the team management and those players are aware as to who stands where. Generally speaking, as a selector, as an ex-selector, we are very happy that Indian cricket is in safe hands, in great hands.”
He was delighted with the performance of KL Rahul, who has made a seamless transition to different formats of the game. In his short international career, the Karnataka batsman has three Test centuries and also has a century with the white ball in a one-day and T20 international. “We are happy with the talent we have got. We are very happy with how KL Rahul has established himself in the senior side. I think it is a healthy sign, a healthy picture for the future of Indian cricket when a new guy comes in and takes the place of a senior player and starts performing. This is what we want, but that doesn’t mean we forget the senior players. We have discussed not only Gautam (Gambhir), but there are other seniors also. We discuss lots of players, we discuss the performance of not only one Ranji Trophy but we discuss Duleep Trophy, India ‘A’ Team, we discuss with Rahul Dravid also, we take his inputs and then we make a collective decision.”
The chief selector said that a roadmap to take Indian cricket forward was drawn and all the stakeholders starting from junior cricket are working hard towards achieving the goal. “We have Sachin (Tendulkar, Sourav (Ganguly) and VVS (Laxman) looking after the affairs, they take decisions. Rahul (Dravid) is looking after junior cricket (U-19 and India A coach), Anil (Kumble, head coach) has just taken charge. He has done a fabulous job in his first tour. So it is all a win-win situation from here on. So, as I said, we wish all the luck not only to the team, we wish luck to BCCI and the next selection committee.
“BCCI has taken some brilliant decisions and we are happy with the kind of decisions BCCI has taken and the kind of roadmap they have drawn.”
He added that during his term there was not a single instance of anyone pushing for a case for a certain player. “Let me clarify that in our four-year term not a single BCCI official approached the selection committee. It is very important that not a single BCCI official of any zone, not a single representative of BCCI contacted me or my colleagues for any recommendation. I am very happy about that.”
