05 March,2020 07:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit N Joshi
Sunil Joshi (left) and Harvinder Singh at the BCCI headquarters in Churchgate yesterday. Pic/ Suresh Karkera
From MSK Prasad, the onus to take a call on MS Dhoni's retirement is now on new chairman of selectors, Sunil Joshi. The former spinner, one of the three candidates from South Zone along with Venkatesh Prasad and L Sivaramakrishnan, was on Wednesday appointed Prasad's successor after the ex-wicketkeeper's four-year term ended. Central Zone's Harvinder Singh was appointed in place of Gagan Khoda.
Karnataka man Joshi's selection panel will pick the ODI team for the three-ODI South Africa series. Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) head S Madan Lal said Joshi & Co will be able to take tough calls despite the new chairman of selectors not having any selectorial experience.
"When you are a coach, you are part of selection committee also," said Madan Lal.
"We have selected those who can take the hardest decisions. [Be it head coach] Ravi Shastri or [captain] Virat Kohli, we are taking about the Indian team," the 1983 World Cupper added.
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Joshi, who once claimed five wickets for six runs for India in an ODI against South Africa in 1999, has coached state teams like Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir and has been the bowling coach of Bangladesh. "I asked how he handled the Bangladesh selectors and his association with four-five other teams including J&K. He has done the toughest of jobs.
"His thoughts were the best; his thoughts were very clear. He was pretty straightforward," said Madan Lal. Joshi played 15 Tests and 69 one-day internationals for India.
Joshi and Harvinder's work will be reviewed after a year before providing extensions. Harvinder, who has coached Punjab and Railways for the last five years, felt his first-class experience will help him in his new job.
"It will certainly help me as I am aware of domestic players. I would analyse them differently when I was a coach. So, definitely my experience in coaching will help me. I will try to do justice to talented players getting their due recognition," said Harvinder, 42, who was part of Sachin Tendulkar's 1997 Sahara Cup-winning team which beat Pakistan 4-1 in Canada.
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