VVS Laxman to attend all senior selection meetings for better communication: BCCI

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that VVS Laxman will henceforth attend all senior selection committee meetings to improve communication between the selectors and the Center of Excellence (CoE).

Laxman, who heads the CoEtook part in the T20I and India Selection meeting in Guwahati. Saikia said that the former India batsman will now be a part of every senior gathering.

“VVS Laxman will henceforth attend all meetings of the senior selection committees to ensure that there is no misunderstanding between the selectors and the COE,” Saikia told PTI on Tuesday.

The decision was taken at the BCCI’s assessment meeting in Mumbai and comes amid concerns over communication between the Council of Europe and the senior selection committee, particularly regarding the fitness and rehabilitation of injured players.

There have been questions about the lack of clarity around injury timelines, with selectors needing regular updates before deciding on squad selections.

“In the assessment meeting in Mumbai, it was decided that as the Chief Cricket Officer, COE, Laxman should attend all future meetings. The move is to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and the selectors are given accurate information to make the right decisions,” Saikia said.

The development is interesting in the context of the comments he made Indian captain Shubman Gill in August when he denied that there was a communication gap between the team management and the Council of Europe.

Gill said the team is in constant touch with the Bengaluru facility and is monitoring the progress of the injured players.

“We are in constant communication with them. Unfortunately, Sai Sudharsan has not improved as much as we wanted because we cannot take chances in Tests. But we are confident about our 15,” Gill said.

The BCCI’s decision to have Laxman at every senior selection meeting will now allow the selectors a direct line to the CoE when they discuss the player’s availability and fitness.

India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup have also been affected by injuries. After the third ODI against the West Indies, Gill admitted that the repeated absence of players was frustrating and that India had to settle for the preferred combination with the World Cup less than a year away.

“I would say it was unlucky, you know, with the injuries and with the schedule, with the other games around. It was a bit unfortunate that we weren’t able to field the bowling line-up that we would have liked,” Gill told reporters.

With Laxman set to attend all the senior selection meetings, the BCCI is keen to ensure that the selectors have the latest information on the players’ fitness and rehabilitation before they start the selection process.

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