BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Saturday promised take "harsh" decisions in future team selections with emphasis being put on merit and not past records.
Updated at 2.25PM
NEW DELHI: Utterly disappointed with Indian cricket team's miserable performance in the World Cup, BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Saturday promised take "harsh" decisions in future team selections with emphasis being put on merit and not past records.
Pawar also said that coach Greg Chappell's contract was till the end of the World Cup and it would now be reviewed.
The Indians lost their crucial league match against Sri Lanka on Friday to virtually crash out of the World Cup. The team now has to hope that Bermuda can pull off a miraculous win over Bangladesh to remain in the competition.
"Our team has disappointed me and the nation. The Indian Board is the only Board which provided maximum facilities to the players, expectations from the team were quite high," he said after India's loss to Sri Lanka.
"Losing or winning happens in the game but performance aganinst Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was not at all up to the mark, especially the batting and fielding," he said.
The selection of the World Cup squad had come under flak with a few out of form players like Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan being picked in the team. Barring the match the against minnows Bermuda, the famed batting line up failed to deliver the goods in the showpiece event.
Pawar was, however, not too critical of coach Greg Chappell, saying he shared only a part of the responsibility of the debacle.
"Definitely there is a responsibility to train properly but at the same time one can show water too hot but cannot compel him to drink," he said.
Pawar said the Board would give a serious thought to the selection process in the future, giving more opportunities to the youngsters than counting on player's past performances.
"We are going to meet after getting a report from the team manager and would give a serious thought to future course of action. Our future approach will be to concentrate for the 2011 World Cup," he said.
"We also have plans to encourage younger players. They will be given more opportunities to play international matches," Pawar said.
"We are also going to discuss with the selection committee. The Board never intereferes in the selection process but will definitely discuss with the selection committee to think about the pattern on the lines of Cricket Australia.
"The Australian Board takes a rational approach in the selection process. They do not go by emotions and past performances but by current performance and there are a number of instances in Australian selection that harsh decision has been taken on non-performers," he said.
About Chappell's future as the Indian coach, he said "the contract with the coach was up to the World Cup and now the World Cup is over. The board has to take a fresh look on the matter," he added.
Situation warrants drastic measures: Shukla
NEW DELHI: Jolted by India's "pathetic" show in the cricket World Cup, BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla on Saturday slammed the team and said the situation warranted some drastic measures.
"We are shocked, completely astonished and BCCI President Sharad Pawar has also expressed shock over the defeat of the Indian team against Sri Lanka. It was very
pathetic performance, we can say," Shukla said.
Shukla said the BCCI president had never interefered in the selection process so far but now he would look into the matter.
"We will really give a serious look to the whole situation. I mean the BCCI would go for introspection and the whole thing will be reviewed.
The BCCI president normally does not interfere in the working of the selection committee, now he will definitely interact with the selection committee and see what steps need to be taken. It's a serious jolt," he said.
Shukla said cricket was a team game and he would not single out any individual for the debacle.
"We are disappointed with the performance of the entire team, I am not going to blame any single individual, the entire team's performance was very disappointing and so in
order to fix responsibility, to review the whole situation, a BCCI meeting would be convened by the president," he said.
'Pathetic, irresponsible,' says BCCI official
NAGPUR: "It was pathetic", remarked Indian cricket control board vice president Shashank Manohar, reacting to the dismal performance of Team India against Sri Lanka in the World Cup match.
"It never looked like India were in the game, either when we played Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. It never looked like a spirited team effort", Manohar said.
The key BCCI functionary, whom the board president is known to lean on heavily in crucial matters including team selection, said more and more promising youngsters should be selected and given international exposure for two years before including them in the national side.
He hastened to add, however, that while preference to youngsters should be regarded as a broad guiding principle, no thumb rule could be laid down. -IANS
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