'How can a national team be picked up by a 3-2 majority?'
In a devastating indictment of the Indian selectors and the methods
adopted to choose the national team, Kapil Dev has described the whole
system of selection as ''rubbish''. Three of the five selectors, the former Indian skipper said, had no business to be there.
''It is ironical that three selectors, who have never played Tests,
should decide the fate of budding players," the world's
highest Test wicket-taker said on Friday night.
''How can the selectors, who have no experience of Test matches
its tensions, pressures and stakes, sit and decide the destiny of
the players? They are the people who have been asked to pick up the
national side. Is it fair?'' Kapil Dev asked.
Asked to comment on Sachin Tendulkar's reported remarks that
he has been given a 'B' team for the Asia Cup and the rejoinder
by Ramakant Desai,
"The chairman is saying one thing and the captain has something
else to say. If there is no coordination between captain and the
selectors, how can one expect coordination on the field?'' he wanted
to know.
Kapil Dev made a strong plea for more powers for the captain. ''The captain
should have more say in the selection of the team'', he said.
He also described the system of voting while selecting the
team as ''preposterous,'' adding "how can a national team be picked
up by a 3-2 majority?''
He came out strongly against the so-called quota system, saying ''the selectors seemed to be interested in protecting zonal interests rather than the country's interests.''
''It is high time the voting system in the selection committee
is consigned to the dustbin,'' he said, and suggested that the
selection panel be replaced by a three member committee
consisting of players who have enough Test playing experience.
''We should get out of this zonal system business. The country's
interests come first. Why should a player who deserves to be capped
suffer just because there is a barter system in the selection
committee? This way we are killing the interests of the players and
not promoting them.''
Asked about the raging controversy of betting and matchfixing,
Kapil Dev said, ''There was no match fixing in my time. We never
heard of such a thing. Nobody dared to come to me for betting or match
fixing. I was never ever offered any such proposal.''
Kapil Dev -- who give testimony to the Y V Chandrachud Commission on Monday -- said he welcomed the inquiry set up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to investigate the controversy. ''I would like the committee to get to the bottom of the whole issue and I am confident that it is not
impossible to unmask the dirty game of betting and fixing matches,
if it exists,'' he said.
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