Ajay Ratra, Amar Khurasiya, S Sharath Among Former Players Interviewed By CAC For Selection Panel Spots

Ajay Ratra, Amay Khurasiya and S Sharath are among the former players interviewed for a spot in India's senior men's selection panel, as per ESPNCricinfo. The BCCI-appointed Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) interviewed the aforementioned players, along with Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh. The shortlisted candidates made presentations before the panel, which will be submitting its recommendations to the board this week. The other candidate in the fray is former India opener SS Das, from East Zone.

Sharath, former Tamil Nadu batter, has emerged as a strong contender to replace Sunil Joshi from South Zone as the latter chose against re-applying. If Sharath gets the job, he will be elevated as he is currently the chairman of the junior men's team panel. It was his committee that picked up India's under-19 World Cup winning squad last year.

It is likely that Das replaces his former teammate Debasis Mohanty from the East Zone, with whom he played for India and Odisha. Das represented India in 23 Tests and four ODIs between 2000 and 2002 and also played 180 first-class cricket matches.

The need for a new selector from East Zone would have arisen irrespective of BCCI inviting applications for a new selection panel as Mohanty had fulfilled his maximum-stipulated cumulative five-year term across various cricket committees. He was a part of both junior and senior panels.

In a similar way, the board would have had to appoint a new selector from West Zone as the Chetan Sharma-led selection Panel was reduced to four members after Abey Kuruvilla, the former Indian pacer, completed a maximum tenure of five years. Kuruvilla moved on to become the BCCI General Manager (cricket development) and the board did not name his replacement