Former Cricketer Ajit Agarkar Assumes Role Of Chairman For Senior Men's Cricket Team Selection Committee

In a recent development, former national player Ajit Agarkar has been appointed as the Chairman of the Senior Men's Cricket Team Selection Committee on July 4. The decision comes after Agarkar appeared for an interview, which was reported to be a mere formality.

According to earlier reports by news agency PTI, the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) aimed to expedite the appointment process, as Agarkar was slated to chair the selection committee meeting for the upcoming T20I squad, set to compete in five matches in the West Indies.

A BCCI source revealed that Agarkar was the sole candidate who appeared for the interview, which was conducted virtually due to his current family break abroad.

Notably, there were no prominent contenders from the North Zone, leading the BCCI to deviate from its traditional practice of appointing one selector from each of the five zones. As a result, Agarkar's appointment resulted in two selectors from the West Zone, with Salil Ankola being the other representative. The remaining selectors are Subroto Banerjee from the Central Zone, S Sharath from the South, and SS Das from the East.

Agarkar boasts an impressive cricketing career, having played 191 ODIs, 26 Tests, and 4 T20Is. He was a vital member of the Indian squads for the 1999, 2003, and 2007 ODI World Cups and played a significant role in the victorious 2007 World T20 Indian team.

Notably, Agarkar has a Test hundred at Lord's and played a pivotal part in India's Test victory in Australia in 2004, where he claimed a remarkable six-wicket haul in the Adelaide game. As the newly appointed Chairman, Agarkar will receive an enhanced salary, as the BCCI has pledged to increase the annual remuneration for the chief selector.