After Zee News Sting Operation, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to Take Call on Chief Selector Chetan Sharma’s Future

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma was caught in a major controversy on Tuesday (February 14) after he allegedly revealed classified selection matters during a sting operation conducted by Zee News channel. Sharma, who was recently reinstated by the BCCI after being removed following India’s showing in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, was seen during the sting operation casting aspersions on players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. Sharma also allegedly revealed his internal discussions with head coach Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli during the sting conducted by Zee News.

It is learnt that the BCCI is looking into the matter, as national selectors are bound by contract and not supposed to speak to the media.

“It will be (BCCI secretary) Jay’s (Shah) call as to what will be Chetan’s future. The question is whether T20 skipper Hardik Pandya or ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma would like to sit with Chetan in a selection meeting knowing that he has let out internal discussions,” a senior BCCI official told the news agency.

Sharma alleged that a lot of players take injections to expedite their return to competitive cricket despite being 80 to 85 per cent fit. The former India pace bowler also alleged that there was a difference of opinion between him and the team management over Bumrah’s return from a stress fracture for the T20I series against Australia in September.

Chetan Sharma revealed that Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t even bend his back, and was cleared to play. “Jaspirt Bumrah was unable to bend as he had a major injury other than that there are one or two players who take injections in private and says that they are fit to play,” Chetan Sharma is heard saying on Zee News sting video.

Chetan sharma - We weren't favouring Rohit as a Captain we were just against Virat Kohli. BCCI took the advantage of Virat's poor form and removed him from Captaincy. They shouldn't treat the country's No.1 batter like this. Shameful #GameOverpic.twitter.com/o9nltuYOVs — Pratham. (@75thHundredWhen) February 14, 2023

Bumrah still continues to be out of action, and will likely miss the entire four-Test Border-Gavaskar series and the three-match ODI series after that.

Sharma also alleged that there was an ego tussle between former captain Kohli and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Sharma was unavailable for a comment when contacted by PTI.

“Virat Kohli felt he lost the captaincy because of BCCI President. There were 9 people in the selection committee video conference, Ganguly may have told him ‘think about it once’. I think Kohli didn’t hear it, there were 9 others there including myself and all other selectors, BCCI officials – Kohli might not have heard him,” the chairman of selectors added.