India squad for New Zealand tour to be named next week by Pragyan Ojha-led selection panel
The BCCI selection committee will meet next week to pick T20, ODI and Test squads for the 45-day tour, which begins on October 22.
Fans waiting for news of India's tour of New Zealand will not have to wait long. The squad for the tour will be announced officially next week. The BCCI selection committee will hold a special meeting next week to finalise the teams for all three formats: T20, ODI and Test.
The selection comes amid a major change. Ajit Agarkar's term as BCCI chief selector officially ended on Sunday, October 4. After his contract ended, the BCCI put an interim arrangement in place, meaning a temporary measure until a permanent selector is appointed.
Under this arrangement, a four-member selection committee led by former India spinner Pragyan Ojha will handle the responsibility. The committee will work under Ojha's chairmanship until a new permanent chief selector is appointed. The same committee will pick the final squad for the New Zealand tour next week.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir will also attend the meeting. He will give the selection committee his views, taking into account the challenging conditions in New Zealand, the nature of the pitches, the players' current fitness and workload management.
According to BCCI sources, the committee wants to select a balanced and strong squad for the 45-day tour starting on October 22. This would allow India to field its best team in all three series.
The tour will begin on October 22 and end on December 1. Over the roughly one and a half months, the Indian team will face tough competition in all three formats. The five-match T20 International series will be played from October 22 to November 1. The five-match ODI series will run from November 4 to November 15, and the two-match Test series from November 19 to December 1.
The India T20 side is currently in Lucknow. The first match of the five-match home T20 series against the West Indies will be played there from Tuesday, October 6. The Indian team will leave for New Zealand immediately after the West Indies series, and the BCCI will officially announce the names of the players next week.
The selection committee meeting next week will therefore be important. Gambhir will attend, and the committee under Ojha will choose the final squad for the New Zealand tour.
