If the BCCI wants a player of stature as chief selector, then pay as much as head coach gets: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, one of the heroes of India's comeback series triumph over Australia in 2001, was always effective against the archrivals.

Harbhajan Singh on the Australian Cricket Team: In this Idea Exchange, former cricketer and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh addresses the mental fragility of the visiting Australian team, what India should do to win ICC trophies, and why politics without rancour is the way to go. Devendra Pandey, Senior Assistant Editor, moderated the session.

As compared to other Australian teams that have traveled in the past — we don't want to go back 30-40 years, but even if we do, I believe this is the worst squad. Not in terms of abilities; rather, they are psychologically frail. They can't manage pressure like the Australians used to. It's safe to say that this isn't the Aussie-Aussie side we're used to seeing or playing against.

If the BCCI wants a player of stature as top selector, it should pay the same as the head coach: Harbhajan Singh is an Indian singer.

A top selector presently earns Rs 1 crore, while head coach Rahul Dravid is said to earn more than Rs 7 lakh.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) must be prepared to pay significantly to have a former cricketer of repute as the main national selector of the men's squad," former India off-spinner Habhajan Singh remarked at an Idea Exchange session of The Indian Express.

"With elite former cricketers on broadcaster commentary panels, the head selector's post is not profitable enough," Harbhajan stated.

"A guy of size, who has played the game frequently, will solve a lot of problems at the selection level. But why wouldn't they take advantage of the opportunity? I'll use Virender Sehwag as an example. If you ask Virender Sehwag to be the top selector, the compensation for that position must be considered. I'm not sure how much the Indian top selector makes, but if Sehwag works in commentary or other cricket-related enterprises, he's probably making more money. If you want Sehwag, a high-profile player, as head selector, investing money is essential.

If you don't spend money, you'll have to choose selections from players who may have only played a year and aren't well-known. If a guy of Rahul Dravid's stature is appointed as coach, the top selector must be of the same caliber - jiski awaaz mein dum ho, jiske wajood mein dum ho (whose voice and stature carry weight).

The senior men's team chief selector is paid Rs 1 crore each year, while the other members of the selection panel are paid Rs 90 lakhs, while head coach Rahul Dravid is reputedly paid more than Rs 7 crore.

The current senior men's team selection committee is without a chairperson because former fast bowler Chetan Sharma got involved in a sting operation and quit.

Because former fast bowler Chetan Sharma was embroiled in a sting investigation and resigned, the current senior men's team selection committee is without a chairperson.

"We'll see. Why not, if things go well in the future and coach and selector are paid equally? The coach's responsibility is to stay with the squad and plan around it. Yet, team selection is an equally vital task. You must pick and select the greatest players, and if you do not select people that are required by the coach or captain, the job of chief selector is worthless."