Can speak on Agarkar-Paranjpe issue post guidelines: CAC member Madan Lal
It has been a week since the trio of Madan Lal, R.P. Singh and Sulakshana Naik were appointed the new Cricket Advisory Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but they are yet to get the terms of reference that they would need when they sit down to pick the next batch of national selectors after the terms of chief selector M.S.K. Prasad and Gagan Khoda ended.
Speaking to IANS, Lal said that he did have a chat with the board officials after the appointment, but he is yet to get the guidelines from the BCCI when it comes to the pointers that need to be followed while appointing selectors for the two empty posts.
"I did have a word with them after the appointment, but I am yet to receive any terms of reference with the appointment of the national selectors," he said.
The CAC is expected to pick the two selectors in time for the selection of the squad for the ODI series against South Africa that gets underway on March 12.
While the name of former pacer Ajit Agarkar is doing the rounds for the post of chief selector, Lal said that clarity on the matter will only be reached after they get the terms of reference.
"I cannot say for now if Agarkar can be picked since Jatin Paranjpe is already there representing the West Zone. I can only speak on that once I get the guidelines on the process of selection," he said.
While the zonal system doesn't apply anymore, Agarkar coming in would mean that the Central Zone would go unrepresented because Khoda was representing the zone and the selectors who will continue are from North (Gagandeep Singh), West (Paranjpe) and East (Devang Gandhi). The South Zone was being represented by Prasad and he will be replaced in all probability by Laxman Sivaramakrishnan.
Another issue that was a major bone of contention while picking the CAC was the Conflict of Interest clause of the new constitution of the BCCI. But Lal said that he had made it clear that he wouldn't be giving up his involvement in developing the next generation of cricketers through his academy.
"The conflict clause needs a re-look at the earliest if you want the best to come back and get involved in administration. I had made it clear that I will not quit coaching kids because that then leads to you giving up on you earning bread for your family and that is not right. I was very honest when giving a declaration and I have no conflict," he explained.
