New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed former Indian wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as the selector of the men’s cricket team, replacing Salil Ankola in the five-member selection panel. As per tradition, all five selectors represent different zones and Ratra will represent the North Zone in the committee headed by Ajit Agarkar.
After Agarkar was appointed chief selector last year, the selection panel had two selectors from the West Zone. Ankola was already part of the committee. The BCCI statement said, “The Cricket Advisory Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Ajay Ratra as the new member of the men’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar. Ratra will replace Salil Ankola in the committee.”
India are scheduled to play a two-Test series against Bangladesh from September 19. However, Ratra will take over from Thursday when the Duleep Trophy begins. Ratra told PTI soon after the announcement, “It is a great honor and challenge. I am looking forward to contributing to Indian cricket.”
The BCCI had invited applications for the selector’s post in January and Ratra, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Ajay Mehra and Shakti Singh were shortlisted and interviewed by the Ashok Malhotra-led Cricket Advisory Committee in June. The North Zone had no representative in the selection panel after Chetan Sharma was ruled out in February 2023.
Ratra was also a member of the support staff that travelled with the India A women’s team to Australia last month. The 42-year-old former cricketer is also a level three coach and has coached Assam, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. He has also worked extensively at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and was part of the Indian team’s coaching staff during the ODI series in South Africa last year.
Ratra played six Tests and 12 ODIs for India in 2002. The highlight of his brief international career was an unbeaten 115 against the West Indies in the Antigua Test. “He was the most deserving candidate among all those who interviewed for the post,” a BCCI source said.
