Virender Sehwag denies being approached by BCCI for chief selector role

Ever since the infamous sting operation of Chetan Sharma resulted in his resignation from his post, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has been searching for a candidate for the role of national selection committee chairman.

Former Indian batter Virender Sehwag has emerged as one of the frontrunners. Ticking off the eligibility criteria for the role, several reports stated that the 44-year-old was approached by the BCCI to take the charge as the chief selector.

After Sharma’s exit, Shiv Sundar Das was named the interim chief selector of the committee, with the respective zone selectors comprising of S Sharath (South), Subroto Banerjee (Central), and Salil Ankola (West). However, the post for the North Zone remains vacant and has attracted many big names from the cricket fraternity, like Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh, amongst others.

However, none of these former cricketers, except Sehwag, meet the eligibility criteria, which is that the candidate must have played at least seven Tests or 10 ODIs, or at least 30 first-class matches; must have retired from the sport for at least five years previously, and must not already have served for five years as a member in any of BCCI's cricket committees. 

Meanwhile, Sehwag recently broke his silence about the rumours as he was asked about the reports of him taking the job by The Times of India, and Sehwag replied with a straight "No." Sehwag is currently working as an analyst across various platforms, and the low-pay package that the BCCI offers to its chief selector is reportedly the reason why the 44-year-old has turned down the offer.

"During CoA's time, Viru was asked to apply for the head coach's job, and then it went to Anil Kumble. It is unlikely he will apply himself, and also the pay package isn't something that will be financially viable for someone of his stature," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.