05 July,2023 12:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ajit Agarkar (Pic: AFP)
Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar was on Tuesday appointed as chairman of senior men's selection panel on recommendations of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
"The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of Ms Sulakshana Naik, Mr Ashok Malhotra, and Mr Jatin Paranjape, interviewed applicants for the position of one selector in the Men's Selection Committee. The three-member CAC has unanimously recommended Mr Ajit Agarkar for the said position," BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a media release.
"The committee further recommended Mr Agarkar for the role of Chairperson of the Men's Selection Committee based on seniority (total number of Test matches)."
The right-arm pacer from Mumbai has been a chairman of the selection panel in the past, as he headed the post for Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) twice in 2017 and 2019. He was also appointed as the assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023.
Agarkar made his debut for India in 1998 and went on to play 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and 4 T20Is for the team till 2007. He was also part of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team.
He scalped a total of 58 wickets in 26 Tests while finishing with 288 wickets in ODIs. He played just 4 T20Is, picking only 3 wickets. He was the first Indian cricketer to take a wicket off his first ball in T20I cricket, a feat he achieved against South Africa in India's inaugural 20-over international match in 2007.
He also holds the record for the fastest half-century in ODI cricket by an Indian off 21 balls, a feat he achieved in 2000 in a match against Zimbabwe. Apart from this, he is also amongst the handful of Indian batters to hit a century at the historic Lord's Ground which came in 2002.
Agarkar was part of the Indian squads for the 1999, 2003, and 2007 World Cup tournaments, besides contributing for India's win in the 2002 Champions Trophy.
His first breakthrough came when he broke Dennis Lillee's world record for fastest 50 wickets in ODIs, achieving the feat from only 23 matches. He held the record from 1998 until 2009 when Ajantha Mendis achieved the feat from just 19 matches. He is currently the third highest wicket-taker (288) for India in ODIs after Javagal Srinath (315) and Anil Kumble (337).
The pacer also had a decent career in the Indian Premier League, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils. He played 42 matches and picked 29 wickets with a best of 3/25. Agarkar retired from all cricket in 2013 after leading the Mumbai side to the Ranji Trophy win that season. Agarkar has played 191 ODIs apart from 26 Tests and 4 T20Is. He was a part of the 1999, 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup squad and also featured in the 2007 World T20 winning Indian team.
Agarkar has a Test hundred to his name at Lord's cricket ground and had played a pivotal role in India's Test victory in Australia in 2004, with a six-wicket haul in Adelaide. He still holds the record for the fastest half-century by an Indian batter in ODI, achieved with a 21-ball fifty against Zimbabwe in 2000. He also held the record for being the fastest to reach 50 ODI wickets for nearly a decade, accomplishing the milestone in just 23 matches.
