Former India seamer Ajit Agarkar has been appointed as the chairman of the selection committee of Mumbai Cricket Association. Agarkar, who has an experience of 17 years in first class cricket, will head the committee that will pick players for senior and U-23 teams. He was the skipper of Mumbai team that won the Ranji Trophy in 2012-13. In his international career, Agarkar took 288 wickets in ODIs and 58 in Test matches. He will took over from Milind Rege. Apart from Agarkar, Nilesh Kulkarni and Sunil More will join the selection panel.
Expressing happiness over his selection, Agarkar said he will look to pick players who can serve Mumbai cricket for the next 10 years. “Hopefully, we will select players who will play for India, but at the same time, our job is to tap some guys who can serve Mumbai for the next five to 10 years,” Agarkar told mid-day. The 39-year-old had a distinguished career in domestic cricket. He has picked up 299 wickets at an average of 30.69 in 110 first-class cricket.
Agarkar was effusive in his praise for his predecessor at selection Panel. ” He (Rege) was the guy who picked me for Tatas. I am not replacing him, I have been asked to be a chief selector. He served Mumbai cricket well for so many years,” he told Mid-day.
“One thing our coach Ramakant Achrekar inculcated in us early on in our playing days was to put team first. And I can bet my life on it that we will continue it, even as selectors,” Agarkar was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Meanwhile, former spinner Rajesh Pawar was chosen as the chairman of the Under-19 set-up. Avishkar Salvi, Raju Sutar and Santosh Shinde are also part of the panel. Trupati Bhattacharya has been appointed as the chief of women’s committee.
