- Wednesday, April 23, 2025
The former cricketer, who also has a Test hundred which he scored at Lord’s against England, done the role just months before the 50-over world cup at home.
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER India pace bowler Ajit Agarkar has become the new chairman of selectors for the country’s men’s team. He takes charge at a time when Indian cricket is facing criticism for not being able to win International Cricket Council tournaments and the 50-over world cup not too far away.
The 45-year-old, who holds the record of scoring the fastest fifty for India in the 50-over format and is one of the quickest bowlers to reach 50 wickets in the same, filled the position which had been lying vacant since Chetan Sharma stepped down following a sting operation which was conducted on him by an Indian television channel.
Agarkar, who played for India between 1998 and 2007 and picked 58 Test wickets in 26 games, 288 one-day wickets in 191 appearances and three scalps in four T20s, joins the likes of Shiv Sunder Das, Salil Ankola, Subrata Banerjee and S Sharath in the selection panel. He is the senior-most member of the panel and becomes its chairman as per the rules of the Indian cricket board.
The former cricketer, who also has a Test hundred which he scored at Lord’s against England, will be having his first challenge when India pick their squad for five away T20 matches against the West Indies starting August 3.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Agarkar was picked unanimously by the three-person Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik and Jatin Paranjpe, which took the interviews on Monday (3). It could not be confirmed however whether Agarkar was the only applicant for the position for which the board had advertised. June 30 was the deadline set for application.
Agarkar is not new to playing the role of the chairman of selectors. He had done it for Mumbai between 2017-19 and was also the part of the coaching crew at Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League for the last few years but left later.
Agarkar was a member of the India squad that won the inaugural T20 world cup in South Africa under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy in 2007.
