BCCI Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma reluctant to send two more openers to England

Chetan Sharma, the chairman of the All India National Selection Committee for BCCI, is reluctant to send two more openers to the UK for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.

The team management unit is currently sweating over Shubman Gill's injury and have requested the selection committee to send two openers, namely Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal.

Shubman Gill has sustained a leg injury that makes him a doubt for India's first Test vs England https://t.co/XtKKajVkE6 pic.twitter.com/x12Xn6u07V

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 30, 2021

However, this is what a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

"Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the entire Test series in the UK with shin splints that will take minimum three months to heal. The team's administrative manager, at the end of last month, had sent an e-mailed requisition to former pacer Sharma asking for two more openers to be sent to the UK."

But as it looks, Chetan Sharma and the Indian think tank are not on the same page. Despite knowing that Shubman Gil is all but out of the Test series, the former India cricketer has not paid much heed to the request.

It is believed that Chetan Sharma doesn't want more criticism coming his way. The selection committee had already received severe bashes after Bengal skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran made it on to the plane to England on the back of a disastrous Ranji Trophy campaign in 2019 ahead of Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal.

BCCI President yet to receive a formal request to send Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal

It will be interesting to see if the management puts in a formal request to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah for the two openers.

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev isn’t amused with the idea of picking Prithvi Shaw as the replacement for Shubman Gill.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6QMRJvdvmO

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 4, 2021

Speaking on the matter, the BCCI source added:

"The BCCI president hasn't yet received any formal request about sending Shaw and Padikkal to the United Kingdom. They are in Sri Lanka for the white ball series but obviously after it ends on July 26, both can be flown in. But I think, team management wants them to join before entering the bio-bubble in Durham."

Both Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal are currently in Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series, which starts on July 13 at R Premadasa Stadium.