Ajit Agarkar: India Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar became the chief selector of the Indian cricket team, replaced Chetan Sharma

Posted on 5th Jul 2023 by rohit kumar

Ajit Agarkar has been appointed as the new chief selector of the Indian cricket team. He will take over this responsibility in place of Chetan Sharma. Speculations about Ajit Agarkar being made the chief selector were being done for a long time and now it has been confirmed. Chetan Sharma, the former chairman of the Indian cricket selection committee, resigned from his post after being caught in a sting operation. After that this post was vacant. Now Ajit Agarkar has been given this responsibility. Ajit Agarkar resigned from his post in the IPL team Delhi Capitals a few days ago. Since then it was almost certain that he would be the new chief selector of the Indian cricket team.

 

On June 22, the BCCI, through an advertisement, sought applications for a vacant position in the selection committee. At this time Ajit Agarkar had applied and since then he was considered a strong contender to fill the post. After Ajit's election, the Indian selection committee has two members from the West Zone. Salil Ankola is already a West Zone selector.

 

The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) consisting of Ms. Sulakshana Naik, Mr. Ashok Malhotra, and Mr. Jatin Paranjpe cleared Ajit's name. Former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar has played 110 first-class, 270 List A, and 62 T20 matches. At the same time, he played 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20 matches for the country. He was a part of the Indian team that won the first T20 World Cup in 2007. He still holds the record for the fastest fifty for India in ODIs. He made this half-century in 21 balls against Zimbabwe in the year 2000. He achieved 50 wickets in just 23 ODIs and was the bowler to achieve this feat in the fewest matches for almost a decade.

 

After he retired from international cricket, he was appointed as the chief selector of the senior Mumbai team and took up coaching duties with the Delhi Capitals. The Cricket Advisory Committee recommended Agarkar's name for the role of chairman of the men's selection committee based on seniority (total number of Test matches).

 

Men's Selection Committee: Ajit Agarkar (Chairman), Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, Sreedharan Sharath.

 

BCCI will have to increase the annual salary

With Agarkar's name in the running, the BCCI will have to increase the annual salary of the head of the selection committee from Rs 1 crore, while the salaries of the rest of the members will also increase from Rs 90 lakh. Delhi Capitals assistant coach and commentator Agarkar earns more than the annual package of the chief selector and this is the reason why the BCCI will have to review the current pay scale.

 

Why was Agarkar not made the chief selector in 2021?

The 45-year-old Agarkar, a disciple of the late Ramakant Achrekar, has played 191 ODIs, 26 Tests, and four T20Is. The Mumbai Cricket Association is believed to have a problem with Agarkar's claim in 2021 and that is why he was not picked as the chief selector. Apart from this, Chetan Sharma, who had the support of a section of the board, would not have become the president if he was elected.

 

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