Official: Ajit Agarkar succeeds Chetan Sharma as chief selector of Indian men's team
Official: Ajit Agarkar succeeds Chetan Sharma as chief selector of Indian men's team; to lead five-member team
Former India player Ajit Agarkar has officially been appointed as the chairmanof the senior men's selection committeeby the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, July 4. Agarkar, a veteran of the game, will succeed former boss Chetan Sharma, who resigned from his post after controversial remarks in February. Agarkar will now head the team of five members consisting of Shiv Sunder Das, Salil Ankola, Subroto Banerjee, and S Sharath.
End of the saga
Agarkar was the leading name to replace Sharma, as several former India players interested in the post were not eligible, while a few pulled out of the race. Hailing from Mumbai, Agarkar was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007. He also holds the unique distinction of scoring a hundred at Lord’s, which his best friend Sachin Tendulkar did not achieve. He will take office on an immediate basis with huge duties on his shoulders.
The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape, interviewed applicants for the position of one selector in the Men's Selection Committee. The three-member CAC has unanimously recommended Agarkar for the position.
Agarkar, 45, represented India on the international stage when he emerged from the ranks of the Mumbai Ranji team where he first caught the eyes of the world. He represented the country in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20Is, in addition to playing 110 first-class, 270 List A, and 62 T20 matches. He still holds the record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batter in ODI, achieved with a 21-ball fifty against Zimbabwe in 2000. He also held the record for being the fastest to reach 50 ODI wickets for nearly a decade, accomplishing the milestone in just 23 matches.
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Big shoes to fill
The former bowling all-rounder was recently released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) from the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise as first-team coach after a poor season. His departure was the first hint of him succeeding Chetan Sharma as he was the front-runner for the post.
He will face a big task in a little over two months as he will be the man in charge of picking the 15-member squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. If he completes the term, he will also be the man at the helm to pick the team for the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA. His selection committee team will also pick the squad for next month’s Asia Cup which will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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