Forced To Quit By The MCA In 2019, Ajit Agarkar Gets The BCCI Job!

Ajit Agarkar has taken charge as the new Chairman of the BCCI’s senior selection committee. His immediate predecessor, Chetan Sharma, had stirred a hornet’s nest by divulging matters related to players’ fitness, among other issues, during a sting operation by a TV channel. Very soon, in the middle of February this year — just some days into his second term as the Chief of the selection committee that came with a handsome annual salary — Sharma,  a lively fast bowling partner to the ‘Haryana Express’ Kapil Dev,  was shown the door and an exalted position in Indian cricket remained vacant for five months. Even as the media raised questions about the BCCI’s reluctance to fill the vacancy immediately, the former India all-rounder with 349 international wickets and who turned out to be the Adelaide Hero with a 6 for 41 in a Test match against Australia in December 2003 has been appointed Chairman; his colleagues being Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola and S Sharath. With the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup approaching, the BCCI, with Roger Binny and Jay Shah at the helm, completed a task by getting on board a cricketer of good standing. Four years ago, the Mumbai Cricket Association forced him to quit on flimsy grounds; Agarkar gave his heart and soul to Mumbai cricket, but a handful of administrators with bloated egos had their say.