'Selection should be a professional position' - Wright

John Wright, the former Indian coach, has said that the time for honorary selectors may be up, and has urged the Indian board administration to bring in professionals. "I have no problems with the selectors because they're all trying to do a tough job," said Wright in a frank interview with Wisden Asia Cricket. "What I have a problem with is the system, whereby they're voted in every year and they're voted in by a geographical region. I don't think that situation is healthy."

Wright said he had witnessed several passionate selection meetings, and noted that since selectors performed in an honorary capacity, they would be changed often, regardless of whether they were competent or otherwise. This process, he said, had to change because a large part of a team's showing depended on the actions of the selectors.

"Every year, generally, you have a new convenor and a different make-up on your panel, so the continuity is difficult. Sanjay Jagdale has been an outstanding selector and because his time is up he is no longer in that position. That to me just doesn't make sense.

"I feel that the system of picking your national selection panel may have done its course," he continued, "and I would urge the BCCI to study the situation. I have a personal opinion that it should be a professional position, the way it is in a number of countries. You can have the best coaching system and your best coaches, but if you don't get your selections right, you're making it very difficult for yourselves."

Wright added that a selector who toured with the team could help matters, because he would be in a position to interact with the captain and coach on requirements and decisions, and could convey them to the rest of the selection panel. As for feedback on players at first-class level, utilising the services of coaches could be helpful. "I think there are some good coaches out there in the first-class system, and they should be used. I hope they establish a pathway for coaching in domestic cricket. There's a new group coming through, guys like Paras Mhambrey, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Singh. If you can get a system going where they feel there's a career there, then that could be helpful."

Wright added that you could not rule entirely out a situation where coaches becamse surplus to requirement and the team was "taking responsibility for those decisions.

"Which leads us to the Ian Chappell situation, where if a captain doesn't really want anyone else around, then fine."