New Delhi:The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has adopted a more cautious approach towards the fitness of players selected for international assignments, following criticism over recovering cricketers being declared fit only to be ruled out soon afterwards.
The change in approach comes into focus after the BCCI announced India’s 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana have all been included in the squad, but their participation is subject to fitness clearance. The three matches will be played in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the BCCI, selectors and the Centre of Excellence (CoE), headed by VVS Laxman, are now seeking greater certainty before declaring players available for international cricket.
BCCI wants greater certainty on fitness
The new approach follows several recent instances in which players were selected after recovering from injuries but subsequently became unavailable.
Cricbuzz reported that the BCCI and the CoE now want to be “200 per cent” confident about a player’s availability before releasing the final selection information. The intention is to avoid situations where a player is picked for a series but is ruled out shortly afterwards, forcing the team management to make last-minute replacements.
Harshit Rana’s recent case has been cited as one of the examples behind the cautious approach. After returning following a lengthy injury lay-off, Rana was included for India’s tours of Ireland and England but was subsequently ruled out and sent back. Prince Yadav was brought in as his replacement.
There have also been other recent instances involving players selected for international assignments but subsequently replaced. Cricbuzz reported that Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were replaced after being selected for the Sri Lanka Tests, while Suryansh Shedge came in for Nitish Kumar Reddy during the Ireland and England tour. Varun Chakaravarthy was also replaced by Ravi Bishnoi for the Zimbabwe tour.
The repeated occurrences have prompted the BCCI and CoE to adopt a more conservative approach to fitness clearances.
Conditional selection becomes more prominent
The latest Afghanistan squad illustrates the change.
The BCCI’s official announcement lists Bumrah, Reddy, Sundar and Rana with an asterisk and specifically states that their selection is subject to fitness clearance. The board has therefore made the condition part of the official squad announcement rather than simply ruling out players who are still recovering at the time of selection.
This approach allows selectors to retain players who are expected to recover before the start of a series while making it clear that their participation is not guaranteed.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has previously explained the reasoning behind such conditional selections. Since squads can be announced three or four weeks before an international assignment, a player who is not fit on the day of selection may still recover in time to travel and play.
The policy therefore gives the selectors the flexibility to retain a player in the squad while ensuring that fitness remains a mandatory condition for participation.
VVS Laxman stresses transparency
VVS Laxman, who heads the BCCI Centre of Excellence, has previously stressed the importance of transparency in the fitness and selection process.
The BCCI’s approach is intended to ensure that players, selectors and team management are aware of the fitness status of individuals before the team travels for an assignment. Conditional selection also means selectors can prepare alternatives if a player fails to obtain the required clearance.
The process is particularly important for players returning from injury, as medical recovery does not necessarily mean they are immediately ready for the demands of international cricket.
For the BCCI, the objective appears to be avoiding a repeat of situations where players are selected, only to be withdrawn shortly before or after an assignment begins.
Bumrah and Reddy expected to be available
Among the four players awaiting fitness clearance, Jasprit Bumrah is the biggest name.
The star fast bowler has been included in India’s Afghanistan T20I squad despite the fitness condition. Cricbuzz reported that selectors are confident about his availability for the three-match series, which begins in Delhi on September 13.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is also understood to be progressing well. The all-rounder has been training at the Centre of Excellence and has reportedly been bowling at full intensity as he works towards his return.
However, the situations involving Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar remain less certain. The BCCI’s cautious approach means neither player will be rushed into action without the required clearance.
Afghanistan series provides fitness test
The Afghanistan series will therefore be closely watched not only for India’s on-field performance but also for the return of several players from injury.
India’s squad, led by Shreyas Iyer, also includes Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh. Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also been included.
The three matches will all be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. The same squad is also set to represent India at the Asian Games in Japan later in September, making the fitness of the recovering players particularly important.
A shift towards risk management
The BCCI’s latest approach represents a shift towards greater caution in managing injured players. Instead of treating a player as fully available based solely on progress in rehabilitation, the board appears keen to ensure that the final fitness assessment is sufficiently robust before allowing the player to take part in international cricket.
For a team with a busy international calendar, such a policy could help reduce last-minute disruptions and give selectors more clarity when preparing squads.
At the same time, conditional selection allows India to retain experienced players in the squad when their recovery is progressing positively, without compromising the requirement for a final fitness clearance.
With Bumrah, Reddy, Sundar and Rana all awaiting clearance, the Afghanistan T20I series could provide an early test of this more cautious system. The BCCI and its Centre of Excellence will be under scrutiny to ensure that players return only when they are genuinely ready for international competition.