Candidates for Selector’s Job Shortlisted, Agarkar gets ignored

ajit agarkar cricket

venkatesh prasad

Former Indian players Venkatesh Prasad and Sunil Joshi were shortlisted for the national selector’s job on Tuesday, the list also includes former Indian spinner L S Sivaramakrishnan and Rajesh Chauhan and medium-pacer Harvinder Singh. The final interviews for which will be held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The interviews are expected to commence at 11 am local time.

The candidates selected for the final round will be adjourned by The Cricket Advisory Committee consisting of  Madan Lal, R P Singh and Sulakshana Naik rather than chief MSK Prasad and fellow members Gagan Khoda.

sunil-joshi

The CAC received 44 applications for the two vacant slots, the applications also had the name of former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, who had applied for a frontrunner job and former wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia.

“Agarkar’s name was very much considered but in the end, the CAC shortlisted Siva, Prasad, Chauhan, Joshi, and Harvinder. He can be considered when the tenure of the other three selectors (Jatin Paranjpe, Sarandeep Singh and Dewan Gandhi) ends,” a BCCI official told PTI.

Agarkar getting rejected, is a sign indicating that the board would most probably stick to the current zonal policy for the national selectors. This means Harvinder, who has played for Punjab and Railways, can represent Central Zone replacing Khoda while Sivaramakrishnan, Prasad or Joshi can take MSK’s place from South Zone.

ajit agarkar

“India is a huge country and zonal representation is needed,” the official added.

While on the other hand, Venkatesh Prasad has been represented the junior selection panel, hence he possesses some needful experience in the job, Prasad has played 33 Tests and 161 ODIS, taking 96 and 196 wickets respectively

As of,  Sivaramakrishnan, he has played nine Tests and 16 ODIS and is a known commentator. Harvinder featured in three Tests and 16 ODIs. The others in the list include Chauhan and Joshi, who have played 21 Tests and 35 ODIS, and 15 Tests and 69 ODIs respectively.

The new selection panel will select the squad for the three ODIs against South Africa, commencing at Dharamsala on March 12.