The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly changed its approach to player selection following criticism over the handling of injured players. The new policy could see the board take a much more cautious approach before naming players in squads.
The BCCI announced the squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Tuesday, with a few notable names carrying an asterisk next to them. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana were all selected subject to fitness, indicating that their availability is yet to be confirmed.
The development comes after the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) faced criticism in recent months over its management of injured players. Several players, including Bumrah, Rana, Sundar and Reddy, were picked for international assignments but were subsequently ruled out after making brief appearances on the field.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the BCCI has now decided to be extremely cautious when it comes to selecting players whose fitness remains uncertain. A source familiar with the new approach reportedly said that the board wants to be “200 percent” confident about a player’s availability before releasing the squad.
The BCCI’s stance on fitness and selection was recently explained by Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman. He stressed that the board is trying to maintain greater transparency in the process and ensure that players and selectors are aware of the fitness conditions attached to selections.
Laxman explained that players are informed when they are not yet ready to participate in a national series and that communication between the players, medical team and selectors is maintained throughout the process. He also pointed out that fitness conditions are clearly mentioned when squads are released.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also shed light on the asterisks placed next to certain players’ names. He explained that squads are often selected three to four weeks before an international assignment, meaning a player who is not fit on the day of selection could still recover before the team actually travels or plays its first match.
According to Saikia, this is why such players are not immediately ruled out. If they successfully pass their fitness test before the series, they can still join the squad and participate in the matches.
For the upcoming Afghanistan series, Bumrah and Reddy are reportedly on course to regain full fitness and could be available for the opening T20I in Delhi on September 13.
However, there is still uncertainty surrounding Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar. With the new approach in place, the Centre of Excellence is expected to avoid taking unnecessary risks with players whose fitness remains doubtful.
