Gundappa Viswanath

Calcutta: There’s a good chance that former India captain Gundappa Viswanath will be on the next senior selection committee.

Vishy is, of course, a former chief selector (or chairman) and had been in the chair when Sachin Tendulkar got the captaincy for the first time, in 1996.

According to The Telegraph’s sources, somebody who has outgoing Board president Sharad Pawar’s ear is one of those lobbying “hard.” Vishy, incidentally, is Sunil Gavaskar’s brother-in-law.

Besides, Vishy’s home state, Karnataka, is exploring ways and means to get him on that committee.

Unlike in the past, the zones won’t get their men “elected” at the Board’s AGM. Instead, the Board president will have the biggest say in “nominating” the five selectors, one from each zone, who will now be paid.

The AGM is on September 27-28.

“I’ve spoken to some in the Board, but nobody is quite sure what’s the way forward... However, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad and we have an arrangement. Going by that, it’s our turn... Even if there’s a new structure, I hope that will be followed,” the Karnataka secretary, Brijesh Patel, said on Wednesday.

A former chief selector himself, Patel added from Bangalore: “Vishy’s our first choice, but we have a second name ready as well — (former India left-arm spinner) Raghuram Bhat.”

A senior Board official, though, raised doubts whether Vishy would be eligible. “There have been amendments to the constitution... I don’t think anybody who has already been a selector for four years can again become one.”

Patel had a counter: “If that is so, then why wasn’t Sanjay Jagdale (Central) removed? This, after all, is his second innings... I’ll check, but I don’t see a problem over Vishy...”

There’s also talk that the current chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar (West), could be retained. But, then, he will have to quit as a Mumbai vice-president unless the guidelines decided upon by the Board’s working committee get rejected at the AGM.

Indeed, today, there’s no guarantee that the guidelines (including the bar on selectors being office-bearers either in the Board or in any affiliated unit) will actually be endorsed at the AGM.

The powers-that-be will, however, face a pretty ticklish situation if both Vishy and Vengsarkar are among the five selectors.

Specifically, should Vengsarkar (also a former India captain) then continue as chief selector?

Vishy made his debut well before Vengsarkar, 1969 vis-à-vis 1976, but the latter has many more India appearances. The Mumbaikar’s ahead, 116 to 91, even if Tests alone get taken into account.

Significantly, Vengsarkar won’t get affected if the four years bit is enforced as he’s been a selector from 2006-07 only.

Where the other zones are concerned, some of the names doing the rounds are Chetan Chauhan (North), Narendra Hirwani (Central) and Snehashish Ganguly (East).

The Board, meanwhile, is compiling “data,” which could come in handy when Pawar and Co. discuss the composition of the next senior selection committee.

Footnote: It’s more or less confirmed that treasurer N.Srinivasan will be the next secretary, with current joint-secretary Mohinder Pandove succeeding him. It’s not clear who will succeed Pandove.