Sunil Gavaskar has proposed expanding the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee and its responsibilities
He suggested involving legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly
Gavaskar believes former cricketers could contribute to scheduling and other key Indian cricket matters
Sunil Gavaskar has floated an intriguing idea that could bring some of Indian cricket’s biggest names back into the BCCI’s decision-making structure. The former India captain wants the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) to have a significantly wider role, going beyond its traditional responsibilities of recommending coaches and selectors.
His suggestion comes after criticism surrounding the Duleep Trophy final and the broader functioning of domestic cricket. Gavaskar believes the experience of former India stars could be put to greater use in shaping schedules, administration and the wider direction of Indian cricket.
Gavaskar’s Big Idea: Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly Among Those Named
Gavaskar believes the BCCI could create a stronger advisory structure by expanding the CAC's responsibilities. He wants the committee to have a say in domestic and international fixtures and other important cricket-related matters, while continuing to play its existing role in selecting coaches and selectors.
"There are no longer any committees in BCCI today apart from the selection committees and the CAC. Perhaps the time has come to expand the CAC and its brief of selecting the selectors and coach, and also look at fixtures — domestic and international, and all things related to Indian cricket. There are some incredibly experienced former cricketers whose expertise can be utilised to be on this committee," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
He then proposed an extraordinary list of former India stars:
"How about names like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag — to name a few? The President and Secretary will be there too," he added.
Gavaskar's vision is not simply about bringing famous names into the board. He believes their collective experience could add authority when dealing with the national coach, captain and Centre of Excellence leadership. He also suggested creating a comparable advisory structure for women's cricket.
The proposal is particularly interesting because several of the names have already held significant cricketing roles. Ganguly previously served as BCCI president, while Dravid recently completed his tenure as India's head coach. Shastri also spent several years as India's head coach, while Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag bring extensive international and domestic experience.
Why Gavaskar Wants Former Cricketers More Involved
The idea comes against the backdrop of Gavaskar's criticism of the Duleep Trophy final, where East Zone secured the title on the basis of their first-innings lead. He has previously advocated changes to domestic cricket structures and believes experienced former players could help address such issues.
His proposal would represent a substantial expansion of the CAC. The current BCCI structure also includes dedicated committees for areas such as infrastructure, WPL and junior cricket, according to the board's latest AGM update. The men's selection committee is headed by Ajit Agarkar, while the BCCI's current office bearers are President Mithun Manhas and Secretary Devajit Saikia.
Indian cricket has a vast pool of recently retired and experienced former internationals, and their knowledge could be used more systematically.
Whether Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and the others would actually return to an official BCCI role is another question altogether. As Gavaskar himself put it: "Will it ever happen, or is it just a dream?"
