Two former Indian cricketers, Pragyan Ojha and Rudra Pratap Singh, are leading candidates for the BCCI’s senior men’s selection panel makeover. The board has requested applications for two vacancies left by Subroto Banerjee (Central Zone) and S. Sharath (South Zone).
The BCCI posted two selector jobs last month, receiving mixed responses from ex-cricketers. Former India pacer Praveen Kumar, Uttar Pradesh bowler Ashish Winston Zaidi, and Himachal Pradesh’s Shakti Singh applied.
However, studies claim that Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh are best qualified for the posts.
The board stipulated that applicants must have played seven Tests, 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches. They must also have retired from competitive cricket five years ago and not have worked on a BCCI body for more than five years.
Left-arm bowler RP Singh played 14 Tests, 58 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India, who won the 2007 T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni. However, Pragyan Ojha played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs, and 6 T20Is. He took 113 Test wickets, including seven five-wicket hauls. Ojha withdrew from international cricket in 2020 and became a commentator.
The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe, and Sulakshna Naik will shortlist and interview candidates before recommending them to BCCI office-bearers. The board’s AGM next month may ratify the final decision.
Pragyan Ojha and Singh will fill the two vacancies on the men’s senior selection panel, but Neetu David will completely restructure the women’s committee. The BCCI is seeking new women’s selectors this month as their tenure expire.
India
