Former Indian spin wizard Harbhajan Singh opens up on selection criteria for chief selector's post

Former India off-spinner and World Cup champion, Harbhajan Singh, feels that the post of chief selector is not lucrative enough. He also suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to consider paying handsomely to hire a huge name for the post. As per reports, the chief selector of the team currently gets INR 1 crore annually. On the other hand, other members of the selection panel receive INR 90 lakh per annum.

With top formers cricketers serving broadcasters as commentators or experts, only a decent package could attract renowned names towards the job of a selector.

Attending the Idea Exchange session of The Indian Express, Singh also cited the example of Virender Sehwag and said, “A man with stature, one that has played the game quite often, will solve a lot of issues at the selector level. But why wouldn’t they take up the opportunity? I’ll give the example of Virender Sehwag. If you ask Virender Sehwag to become the chief selector, then the salary of that post needs to be analysed."

The Turbanator, after giving his views on the salary concerns of the selection panel, didn't shy away from discussing about the criteria for the chief selector's post.

'If a man like Rahul Dravid is made the coach, then the chief selector must have the same stature' - Harbhajan Singh on selection criteria for Chief Selector

"I don’t know how much the chief selector in India earns, but if Sehwag is in commentary or in other businesses around cricket, then it’s likely he is earning more money. If you want Sehwag, a player with stature, for the chief selector’s job, then spending money has to be key," the 42-year-old stated.

"If you don’t spend money, then you will have to choose selectors from players who may have only played a year and might not be that big a name. If a man like Rahul Dravid is made the coach, then the chief selector must have the same stature as well – jiski awaaz mein dum ho, jiske wajood mein dum ho (whose voice and stature carry weight)," Singh continued.

Currently, the selection committee for the senior men’s team has no chairman after the resignation of Chetan Sharma following his sting operation on a news channel. At the event, the former India spinner was also asked if offered the post of chief selector, would he be open to taking up the post? Replying to that question, the former spin wizard said it depends on the pay parity with the national coach.

“Let’s see. If things shape up moving forward, and coach and selector are equally paid, then why not? The job of the coach is to stay with the team and plan around the team. But team selection is also an equally important job. You have to pick and select the best players and if you don’t select players that are needed by the coach or captain, then the chief selector’s position doesn’t have value," Harbhajan concluded.

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