Rahane urges BCCI to revamp selector process, Pujara in partial agreement

Currently, any cricketer with 10-match first-class experience can apply to be a state selector and should have retired at least five years ago

India batter Ajinkya Rahane has proposed radical changes in the appointment of selectors, particularly at the domestic level, saying only recently retired first-class players should be entrusted with picking teams as they are more likely to keep pace with changing nature of the game.

Currently, any cricketer with 10-match first-class experience can apply for being a state selector and should have retired at least five years ago.

Beyond the set parameters, Rahane said it's important that selectors' mindset and approach match the current pace of cricket.

"Players should not be scared of selectors. I want to talk about selectors, especially in domestic cricket. We should have selectors who have retired recently from playing top-flight cricket, those who have retired five-six years, seven-eight years ago," Rahane said during an interaction with one-time teammate Cheteshwar Pujara on the former's Youtube channel.

"Because the way cricket is evolving, I think it's very important that the mentality and mindset of the selectors match that and keep pace with the change. The game is evolving.

"We don't want to make decisions based on how cricket was played 20-30 years ago. With formats like T20 and the IPL, it's important to understand the style of modern cricket players," he added.

"I believe selectors should, wherever possible, be individuals from all states, and players should be on the ground playing with freedom, playing fearless cricket."  Pujara, the doughty number three India batter for more than a decade, agreed partially with Rahane's viewpoint while offering a more balanced take on the issue.

"In big states this can be implemented because they have so many options. So, wherever possible, I do agree that it can be implemented, but that does mean that any past cricketer, who has got a great record and wants to be a selector now, should be deprived of the chance because he retired long back," Pujara said.

Moving on, both Rahane and Pujara believed that performance in domestic cricket should be given due weightage while selecting the senior Test team.

"I strongly believe that those who want to play Test cricket, should play domestic cricket first. And everyone plays it. And it is also important to perform well in it.

"And if we talk about the current team selection, or if we talk about the last 2-3 series, the domestic players who have performed well in Ranji Trophy or domestic cricket, they have got an opportunity to play in the Indian squad," Pujara observed.

"So, what it suggests is that it is a positive move. Because when domestic players perform well in domestic cricket, they should get a reward.

"And I believe that this should continue. And the selection of the Indian Test team should be purely based on domestic cricket," Pujara added.

Rahane chimed in with a statement of agreement.

"I think you are absolutely right. The selection of the Indian Test team should be based on domestic cricket. And I think this value remains. When you come to Test cricket after performing so well in domestic cricket... the value of the Test cap, and the experience of playing Test cricket, is also different," Rahane said.

Pujara felt it is a wrong notion that players now do not want to play domestic cricket.

"Domestic cricket remains important even now but players' priorities have changed a bit. There are specialised players now for each format not just in India but across the world.

"Since the number of Test matches a year has come down a bit over the years, players now feel that if they are not part of white ball cricket they are missing out on a lot of action.

"So, priorities have shifted now, but that does not mean these players don't want to play domestic cricket," Pujara said.

After a 103-Test long and successful career, Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of the game in August this year, after being excluded from the squad for the England series.

Rahane has not retired from international cricket, but he did step down as the captain of Mumbai in August.

Both the batters agreed that the health of Indian cricket has grown tremendously over the years.

"Domestic cricket has changed a lot now from the time we started playing. First of all, the infrastructure where matches are taking place now, the grounds and facilities have improved compared to what we used to get in the past.

"Quality of cricket was great then, and it's very good now too. There is always scope for improvement when it comes to the quality of cricket...

"There was not so much exposure when we started playing, domestic cricket was of prime importance then, if you were doing well in domestic cricket then you would get selected for west zone, then for the India A team.

"But, from 2008, when the IPL started, Indian cricket has undergone a massive change. So, that had some impact on domestic cricket too," Pujara said.