MUMBAI: Money for nothing, what say? The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Tuesday announced cash rewards for the five-member All-India Senior Selection Committee led by Andhra Pradesh’s MSK Prasad, following India’s first ever Test and ODI series wins in Australia recently.
All the members will get a bonus of Rs 2 million each.
What they have been rewarded for remains a mystery, at least as seen from this perch. Is it for doing their job? They are already being handsomely remunerated on that score, it needs noting. Thanks to a hefty raise implemented recently by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), chief selector MSK Prasad already gets Rs 10 million annually, while his four colleagues – Devang Gandhi, Sarandeep Singh, Gagan Khoda and Jatin Paranjpe – take home Rs 9 million each.
And as Telegraph India pointed out, the dysfunctional two-member CoA has conveniently ignored the fact that for a significant period of their tenure, Khoda and Paranjpe had actually not even been functioning as selectors! They were restored to their positions after the Supreme Court passed an order to that effect last August.
An official release issued by the BCCI on the decision quotes CoA chairman Vinod Rai as having said: “We are extremely proud of the way Team India have performed in Australia. We had announced cash rewards for cricketers and support staff earlier and are now rewarding selectors. The five men have played a crucial role in picking a balanced Indian squad and offering the team management enough options to work around different combinations. The boys chosen to represent the Indian team went about their task in a fearless manner and stood up in challenging situations.”
CoA member Diana Edulji added: “Each member who has played a role in India’s recent triumphs in Australia needs to be appreciated. With the ICC Cricket World Cup just about four months away, the three-match ODI series in Australia provided excellent preparation for the Indian team. The selectors have been focusing on a core group of cricketers that will make the cut at the showpiece event. I congratulate them for picking some fine young talents, who performed brilliantly on their maiden tour of Australia.
