India cricket board sacks selectors

INDIA’s cricket board has sacked its entire selection committee, led by former fast bowler Chetan Sharma, and put out the call for replacements after the team’s humiliating T20 World Cup exit.

Rohit Sharma’s men suffered a 10-wicket thrashing by England during the semi-final at Adelaide Oval last week, prompting fresh soul-searching by a team that last won a global title at the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Their exit dismayed India’s legion of diehard fans and prompted calls from commentators and the public for heads to roll.

A major shake-up had been mooted since the day after the loss, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a big step Friday evening when it issued a statement inviting fresh applications to fill all five positions on its selection panel.

It comes a month after World Cup winner Roger Binny was appointed head of the cashrich board to replace Sourav Ganguly, who was reportedly forced out in a political tussle.

Reports after the England defeat also said the T20 squad will undergo a major transition, with prominent senior players including Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin being gradually eased out.

Rohit, 35, currently leads India in all three formats of the game.

The Indian Express newspaper said the new selection panel would be entrusted with the responsibility of appointing separate captains for various formats.