What we talk about when we talk about selection

The crew chats about the idea of selecting a cricket team, and debates how one can have a meaningful conversation about an inherently unfair process. Should selectors be more transparent about the reasoning behind their choices? Is there a process by which we can judge a good selection? And how can anyone justify the selection of the Indian team when anything less than a victory in a global tournament (or marquee Test series) is deemed a failure?

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Talking Points:

• How does one have a meaningful debate about selection?
• Does the selection (or non-selection) of one player have a big impact on results?
• Will it help us understand the process better if selectors explain the rationale for their choices?
• What was the cricketing logic behind Vijay Shankar’s selection for the 2019 World Cup?
• What are selectors looking for when they earmark a player as an India prospect?
• Is there anything that can be termed an ‘outrageous selection’ ?
• Does Sarfaraz Khan know why he is not being picked for India? Does it matter?
• Are selection debates essentially about ‘who are the 11 players I like the most’?
• Pre 2011, should Yuvraj and Raina played more Tests than Badrinath and Rohit?
• The difference between Karn Sharma over Ashwin, Shardul over Ashwin, and Jadeja over Ashwin
• Is Shardul Thakur an extraordinary Test selection – or merely a lucky one?

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page

Ashoka (@ABVan)

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Related:

• Why selection in India is not illogical or capricious, contrary to popular opinion – Kartikeya Date – ESPNcricinfo
• What more can Sarfaraz Khan do to get selected for India? – Sidharth Monga – ESPNcricinfo
• R Ashwin opens up on WTC drop and on being ‘traumatised’ in the past – Venkata Krishna B – Indian Express 
• ‘Batting is now less artistic, more power-based’ – 81allout podcast with Amol Muzumdar
• Watching, studying, writing, talent-spotting: a life in cricket – 81allout podcast with Makarand Waingankar

Lead image from here.