Strange that the IPL remains out of bounds for national selectors

THIS SNUB IS BIZARRE. WHY NOT WATCH INDIA’S YOUNG TALENT TO JUDGE THEIR POTENTIAL, TECHNIQUE AND TEMPERAMENT IN A HIGHPRESSURE ‘LIVE’ SITUATION?

Sometimes it appears the BCCI is confused about how to handle the IPL. Not sure whether to treat it like its own son, or a distant cousin who happens to be loaded. In commercial matters, the BCCI is fully switched on and takes ownership of the IPL. But on issues of policy making and governance, the BCCI chooses to keep an arm’s length.

According to the BCCI’s constitution, the IPL is a ‘sub’ committee which is managed by its Governing Council (GC). But the GC is nominated/controlled by the BCCI and ultimately everything in the IPL is subject to the Working Committee and the AGM which are the highest decision-making bodies.

Confusing and muddled? Yes, but there is more.

Franchises who participate in the IPL are not stakeholders in the true sense. Teams are privately ‘owned’ because the IPL sold this asset (the team) for a price and granted owners the right to ‘operate’ the team in perpetuity.

But, unlike genuine stakeholders elsewhere, franchise team owners have zero say in IPL management or governance.

They are not represented on the GC, excluded from all decision making and not kept in the loop on important issues.

Without direct access to the BCCI, teams find out about developments impacting them only from media reports.

What comes their way, at present, is the odd crumb — unstructured consultation —, a brief ‘feedback’ meeting or the occasional workshop.

If the BCCI deals strangely with team owners, the treatment meted out to its own selection committee is no different. While the IPL plays out in 60 matches across India, the MSK Prasad-led national selection committee gives the tournament a total miss. National selectors follow India’s premier domestic tournament, and the most competitive cricket league in the world, on television over dinner like you and me.

This snub is bizarre. The norm is selectors turn up at all domestic cricket, including the T20 Mushtaq Ali tournament, and accompany ‘A’ sides on overseas tours. So, why not

watch India’s young talent to judge their potential, technique and temperament in a highpressure ‘live’ situation?

It is argued, correctly, that IPL teams are selected not by India selectors but by owners and their relatives who are assisted by professionally-appointed coaching staff.

Even so, national selectors, if present at the ground, would get a better understanding about a player’s ability.

The irony is selectors, though absent, give IPL performances due consideration when picking players for India. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, Manish Pandey and others attracted attention through impressive IPL performances.

Selectors track IPL for picking zonal teams, short-listing names for building India’s bench strength and making recommendations for annual retainer contracts.

Views expressed are personal