Five years after Virat Kohli suggested the establishment of Test centers in India, Sunil Gavaskar is now calling for the creation of a BCCI sub-committee tasked with deciding the pitches to be used in the home Test series. Gavaskar proposes the inclusion of cricket icons like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman, alongside chief selector Ajit Agarkar, as members of this committee.
“You Could Have Dhoni…” – Sunil Gavaskar Wants A Special Committee To Decide Home Test Pitch
Speaking during the IND vs SA 2nd Test match, Sunil Gavaskar said: “There should be a committee which decides which pitch to be used in India. You could have Sachin, Gambhir, Dhoni, Agarkar, Laxman, apart from BCCI President and Secretary in the committee. I am just dropping names but I feel those should be the people deciding on pitches,”
The call for a dedicated committee to oversee pitches in India is motivated by the aim to formalize and structure the current process. While captains and coaches presently contribute significantly to pitch decisions for home Test series, the proposal seeks to establish a more systematic approach. By involving experienced figures like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, VVS Laxman, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the committee aims to ensure a comprehensive consideration of inputs from various cricketing perspectives in determining the most suitable pitches for India.
Virat Kohli Had Asked For The Same Committee In 2019
Facing challenges on seaming conditions in England and South Africa, and bouncy pitches in Australia and South Africa, India is considering a committee to decide on pitches. Though it may reduce the captain and coach’s influence, the involvement of cricket greats could enhance overseas preparation. In 2019, Virat Kohli proposed five designated Test centers for the home series, aiming for consistency and better planning.
“We’ve been discussing this for a long time now, and in my opinion we should have five Test centres, period. I mean, I agree with state associations and rotation and giving games and all that. That is fine for T20 and one-day cricket. But in Test cricket, teams coming to India should know, ‘we’re going to play at these five centres, these are the pitches we’re going to expect, these are the kind of people that will come to watch, crowds’,” Virat Kohli said in 2019.
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