Kolkata: Since the time chief selector Chetan Sharma had to step down following a sting operation that put the former India pacer in a spot of bother, one position is vacant in the BCCI selection committee. Now there are four wise men instead of five. Shiv Sundar Das, Salil Ankola, Subroto Banerjee and Sridharan Sharath.
The BCCI has already invited applications for the post and there are a few prominent names who have applied for the vacant position, but none in the board corridors are ready to pinpoint a single name.
If Board sources are anything to go by, the fight is going to be between former India offie Maninder Singh and seamer-allrounder Ajit Agarkar. "Both have applied for the post. If any of them is shortlisted, that person would automatically become the chief selector as both of them have played more Tests and any other member of the current selection committee," a source in the BCCI told ETV Bharat.
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However, one thing that emerged is the name of the head coach of India's women's cricket team. "With three Amol Muzumdar, Jon Lewis and Tushar Arothe, in contention. Muzumdar and Lewis have been shortlisted for the head coach's position and will be interviewed," the source pointed out. According to sources, Muzumdar is likely to get the nod eventually.
The onus of picking the selector lies with the CAC comprising Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik, and Jatin Paranjpe to interview the three shortlisted candidates on June 30. It is learnt that the BCCI wants the new coach to accompany the India women's team led by Harmanpreet Kaur for the Bangladesh tour next month.
However, the selection for the chairman became imminent after the former chairman of the selection panel Chetan Sharma was purportedly heard divulging classified information of Team India and its players in a sting operation by a national media channel in February 2023.
