Ajit Agarkar was named chairman of selectors for the Indian men’s cricket team, announced the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday.
A three-member Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape unanimously recommended Ajit Agarkar for the position.
Agarkar, 45, has previous experience in a selection committee. Following his playing career, he was appointed as the Chief Selector for the senior Mumbai team and undertook coaching responsibilities with the Delhi Capitals.
The former India pacer played 110 first class, 270 List A, and 62 T20 matches in addition to 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20Is for his country.
He was a former fast bowler who played for India’s winning team in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. His 21-ball fifty against Zimbabwe in 2000 still stands as the fastest half-century by an Indian batter in an ODI.
For almost ten years, he also held the record for the quickest 50 ODI wickets, reaching the mark in just 23 games.
Agarkar joins Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, and Sridharan Sharath on the men’s selection committee for India as its fifth member.
The post Agarkar is filling has been vacant since February after the previous chief selector Chetan Sharma resigned after a sting operation against him was made public.