The Irani Trophy match between the Ranji Trophy champions is being given more importance than it deserves.

Picking the best Irani team seems to be the present selection committee’s objective. They do not want to leave with a soiled plate. Dilip Vengsarkar and his colleagues can look back on their tenure with little pride. Till this day, none knows why Rahul Dravid quit the captaincy in both Tests and ODIs. One hears that Vengsarkar knows more about it than has been revealed. The new selection committee should be more transparent. Vengsarkar took shelter behind Sharad Pawar, who is tipped to be the next ICC president.

The intention of the BCCI should be to get the best selector from each zone, and he should be well read and educated. Enough of 100-plus Test veterans as selectors, because while they were good enough to play so many, it does not necessarily mean they are knowledgeable and fair.

One hears with a measure of trepidation that the final choice of the selectors will rest with the new president of the BCCI, Shashank Manohar. Since the members of the new selection committee are each going to be paid Rs. 25 lakh per year, they must be worthy of their positions and deserving of this sort of money. Most former players are trying to put their hats in the ring only because of the money to be earned. The best way to choose them is to interview the candidates. It should be done by a panel that is qualified and distinguished.

There must a sort of hierarchy. For instance, if the selector nominated by the Central Zone is Parthasarathi Sharma, then it should be welcomed. He played a few Tests, but has worked with the National Cricket Academy and made a name for himself as a batting coach. He is the seniormost of the lot and deserves to be the chairman.

The next in line should be Navjot Singh Sidhu from the North Zone. He is an MP and the BCCI might not want him. But his zone should press for him as he will speak his mind and that too funnily. He knows his cricket though. West Zone can look at the claims of Nayan Mongia, the former wicketkeeper. But will it?

East Zone has a fine candidate in its former captain, Raju Mukerjee, and the South Zone should think of the ex-Karnataka opening batsman, M.A. Sreenivas Prasad.  They are erudite and also men of integrity. Every one of those mentioned has the right credentials. Let us end the hopes of the “usual suspects”, who curry favour with the BCCI. Transparency and competence are qualities Indian cricket needs from the selectors.