Ajit Agarkar Set To Become Chairman Of BCCI Selection Committee: Reports

Former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar is poised to assume the role of chairman of the senior selection committee of BCCI, a position left vacant since February 17 when former fast bowler Chetan Sharma resigned after being implicated in a sting operation. BCCI officials reached out to Agarkar, offering an increased annual salary of the chief selector, currently set at Rs 1 crore. Encouraged by the proposal, Agarkar decided to apply and stands as the prominent candidate among the applicants. On Thursday, he resigned from his post as assistant coach of IPL team Delhi Capitals. Interestingly, in 2020, Agarkar had applied for the selector's role but was not selected. The other members of the selection panel receive an annual salary of Rs 90 lakh each.

According to sources from The Indian Express, BCCI has chosen to revise the annual salary of the chief selector due to former players who met the eligibility criteria for the position being reluctant to apply, as they found their other sources of income, such as commentary and studio expertise, to be more lucrative.

Former Mumbai captain Agarkar has represented India in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20s. He was a part of the victorious 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, captained by MS Dhoni. The current members of the senior selection committee include Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, Sridharan Sharath, and Shiv Sundar Das, who assumed the role of interim chairman after Sharma's resignation in February.

To qualify for the selector's position, a candidate must have played a minimum of 7 Test matches or 30 First Class matches, or 10 One Day Internationals and 20 First Class matches. Additionally, the candidate must have retired from the game at least 5 years prior. Individuals who have served a total of five years on any Cricket Committee (as defined in the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of BCCI) are ineligible to become members of the Men's Selection Committee.

In the Zee News sting operation, Sharma was allegedly heard suggesting that Indian players were using injections to maintain fitness. He also claimed that Hardik Pandya, who has been leading India in the T20Is since the T20 World Cup, frequently visited his house. Following Team India's exit in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup in November, the entire selection panel was replaced by the BCCI, but Sharma was re-appointed in January of this year.