Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has demanded the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give the same bonus to the National Selection Committee as they are giving to the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team for winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
After India’s historic triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, the BCCI announced a bonus of Rs 125 crore for the Men in Blue, and now Sehwag has called for an equal bonus for the Ajit Agarkar-led Indian Selection Committee, saying they have done a remarkable job as selectors as well.
Virender Sehwag calls for equal recognition of Indian selectors for 2024 T20 World Cup success
Former Indian opener lauded the selection committee for its strategic decisions in putting together the squad for the T20 World Cup in 2024. Sehwag highlighted the collective effort of the selection panel, comprising chairman Agarkar and selectors Shiv Sunder Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola and Sridharan Sarath, in putting together a well-rounded squad for the tournament.
Sehwag stressed that Ajit and his selection team worked together, provided their expertise and backed players who they believed would perform well in the expected conditions in the Caribbean. Therefore, they also deserved the same recognition and bonus that the players were receiving.
The former Indian opener noted that Agarkar played a crucial role but it was a team effort with valuable inputs from all five selectors to select a winning team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He expressed admiration for his ability to balance the team composition and his forward thinking in picking suitable players for the unique challenges of the tournament.
Besides praising the selectors, Sehwag hailed them and congratulated them for their strategic planning amidst the warm welcome and facilitation ceremony of the Indian team in Delhi. He also mentioned that apart from Agarkar, the other four selectors are also his friends and are from our group.
Virender Sehwag demands BCCI to honour Indian selectors’ contribution to 2024 T20 World Cup triumph
Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz: “They knew what they were doing. Ajit always says, not just to me, that I am making a team on my own. Our four selectors also give their opinions. They also think well. They also back the players they select. Because at the end, if 3 out of 5 selectors agree, only then your team will be selected.”
Sehwag added: “It’s not that Ajit Agarkar is saying that he is going to make the team. The rest of the four are in agreement with him. So, I think the team was selected by five selectors, keeping in mind that we are going to play in the West Indies. We can get a slow, low wicket. There can be a total of 150-160 wins. For that, you need confident batsmen, not just those who have a strike rate of 200.
“A strike rate of 150-120 works in this case too. Keeping that in mind, they picked the team and congratulations to all the selectors – Ajit Agarkar, Shiv Sunder Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola and Sridharan Sarath. All of them have done a good job. The players, who get the bonus and recognition, should get it too.”
It is noteworthy that India’s second-tier team is already in Zimbabwe for the five-match T20I series, which begins on July 6 in Harare. Shubman Gill will captain the national team while VVS Laxam will be the head coach on the tour of Zimbabwe.