BCCI secretary Jay Shahs latest revelation on the exclusion of star batters Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the list of central contract has sparked controversy. He stated that the decision was solely taken by BCCIs selectors. Notably, Kishan and Iyer were left out of the central contract after they failed to participate in domestic matches despite strict instructions from the BCCI. Destructive batter Ishan Kishan went on a break citing issues of mental health after the conclusion of the ODI World Cup. He remained unavailable until the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, Iyer didnt participate in the Ranji Trophy semifinal and final. Iyer faced criticism after he attended the Kolkata Knight Riders camp instead of playing for his domestic side, who were playing Ranji matches.I am just a convener: Jay ShahIn a press conference, Jay Shah stated, You can check the constitution. I am just a convener. He added that the decision to select players lies with Ajit Agarkar. This is applicable in the case of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, who abstained from participating in matches on the domestic circuit. He clarified that his role is just to implement the decision. He also added that weve added new players in place including Sanju Samson. Shah repeated the Boards decision that all Indian cricketers must prioritize domestic cricket. Jay Shah said, Ajit Agarkar decided to remove Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the central contract. I am just a convener. My role is to implement. And we have got new players in place, like Sanju Samson. Nobody is indispensable. pic.twitter.com/hsSYNqcXFz— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 10, 2024Earlier in February, the BCCI secretary stated that he would back the decision of the chief selector regarding players who failed to comply with BCCIs rules and regulations. Shah said that he personally communicated with the players after their exclusion. He said that, if needed Hardik Pandya was ready to play white ball cricket in Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. No raise in pay for domestic playersJay Shah cleared the rumors around the increase in the match fees for domestic players. He said that BCCI has no such plans in the pipeline. Although, he stated that BCCI has increased the pay by 100 percent in 2022 and it had incentivized Test cricket already.
