India’s cricket selectors set to see new faces as deadline approaches
With September 10 deadline fast approaching, former Indian fast bowler Praveen Kumar has thrown his hat in the ring for a spot on the senior men’s cricket selection committee. The five-member panel is headed by Ajit Agarkar, and two new vacancies are up for grabs.
Praveen Kumar, who played for India from 2007 to 2012, has played in six Tests, 68 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. He took a total of 112 wickets during his international career. Currently, he is the chief selector for the Uttar Pradesh senior men’s cricket team. Sources say he has officially applied to become a national selector representing the Central Zone.
The current selection panel also includes former Indian pacer Subroto Banerjee, who is representing the Central Zone. As the deadline nears, it will be interesting to see who else applies for these prestigious positions.
The BCCI — India’s cricket board — has set some clear rules for applicants. To qualify, candidates must have retired from playing cricket at least five years ago. They should have played a minimum of seven Test matches or 30 first-class matches, or at least 10 ODIs and 20 first-class games. Applicants also shouldn’t have been part of any BCCI cricket committee in the last five years.
Besides Praveen Kumar, other potential contenders include former India quick RP Singh. Singh played 82 matches across formats for India from 2005 to 2011 and took 124 wickets. He was also part of India’s historic 2007 T20 World Cup win and has served as a cricket talent scout and commentator.
There’s also talk of Pragyan Ojha, the accomplished left-arm spinner who represented India from 2008 to 2013. Ojha played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs, and 6 T20Is, taking 144 wickets in international cricket. He has applied for the South Zone position as a national selector.
Currently, S Sharath is the South Zone representative, a role he took on in January 2023 after serving as the junior selection committee chairman since September 2021.
In addition to the senior men’s panel, the BCCI is also accepting applications for four vacancies in the women’s national selection committee and one in the junior men’s committee. The deadline for all these applications is September 10.
As the deadline approaches, cricket fans and insiders will be watching closely to see who steps into these influential roles, shaping India’s cricket future.
