BCCI to pick new selection panel: Names of Agarkar, Sivaramakrishnan doing rounds in candidates list

Mumbai, November 19: The BCCI had called applications for the post of 5 national selectors on Friday, effectively signalling the end of the current selection panel headed by Chetan Sharma.

Since that rather abrupt move, several names have been speculated as applying for the post of selectors for which the deadline is set at 6 PM IST, November 28.

Ajit Agarkar, the former India pacer and an expert commentator is in his latest avatar, could apply for a post from the West Zone. It has been rumoured that even the BCCI is keen to have him on board as Agarkar has played all three formats of the game, IPL and has been in touch with the new course of the sport.

Other contender from the West could be Salil Ankola, who is viewed as a close confidant of BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar, a Mumbai cricket heavy weight.

Currently, there is no selector from the West Zone after the tenure of Abey Kuruvilla came to an end last year. From South Zone, the name of former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has been cropped up as he is close for Tamil Nadu strongman N Srinivasan, as the latter wanted him in the panel even the last time around.

However, the preference of current BCCI President Roger Binny too could be sought while picking up a selector from South. Sunil Joshi was the current selector from South and he has two years left in his tenure.

Technically, Joshi can reapply for the post. From the East Zone, the name of former India opener Shib Sundar Dar is doing rounds as he was in the shortlist last time but there are some other candidates too. Debasish Mohanty is representing East in the present selection panel.

That leaves us with candidates from Central and North Zone, where the preference of BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla will have a say. But it will be interesting to see whether some of the big names throw in their hat to the ring from those two zones.

But it may be recalled that the selector aspirants will be screened, shortlisted and picked by the Cricket Advisory Committee.