Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad is the front runner to become the next India selector, according to a report in Times of India. The former pacer has an impressive resume having represented India in 33 Tests and 161 ODIs from 1996 to 2001, in which he took a total of 292 international wickets. Moreover, he was also the bowling coach of the India team during their triumphant run in the inaugural World T20 in 2007, and then took the same post with the Chennai Super Kings from 2008-09. Later, he became the bowling coach of Punjab Kings, and was also the head coach of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from playing experience, he was also the Under-19 selector between 2016 to 2018 a period in which India played in one Under-19 World final (2016 in Bangladesh) and won another (2018 in New Zealand).
“D Vasu and Kanwaljit Singh are the other applicants from South Zone, but Kanwaljit is 64, while the eligibility criteria to be a selector is 60. From the West Zone, Mumbai chief selector Salil Ankola is a frontrunner, with Nayan Mongia and Sameer Dighe also being in the race. From the East Zone, Subroto Banerjee and SS Das are strong contenders, while from the North Zone, Nikhil Chopra could be a dark horse,” the report states further.
Chetan Sharma Reapplies
Former BCCI chairman of selector Chetan Sharma has reapplied for the position in the All India Selectors Committee. Apart from Chetan, Harvinder Singh who was part of the selection panel from the Central Zone, also applied again for the post. It is an open secret that Chetan and his panel’s performance and consistency in selection have been below par in recent times as the BCCI decided not to extend their tenure for more years.
Chetan (North zone), Harvinder (Central Zone), Sunil Joshi (South Zone) and Debasish Mohanty (East Zone) have had the shortest stint as senior national selectors in recent times. Some of them were appointed in 2020 and some in 2021. A senior national selector normally gets a four-year term subject to extension.
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