New selectors will be picked by the end of this month, confirms BCCI President Sourav Ganguly

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on Monday said the selection panel will see its two replacements by the end of February. The Indian board sought applications for the replacement of chief selector MSK Prasad and one of the members Gagan Khoda in the five-member panel. Recently, the former India captain said that the Indian squad for the ODI series against South Africa next month will be picked by the new selection panel.

A number of top former cricketers like Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Ajit Agarkar, Nayan Mongia, Chetan Sharma and others have applied for the posts. The BCCI recently formed the new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising former India players Madan Lal, Rudra Pratap Singh and Sulakshana Naik. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir was not entertained since he is a member of parliament at the moment and could not hold a post in the BCCI.

The previous committee led by former India captain Kapil Dev resigned last year on grounds of conflict of interests. Sivaramakrishnan and Agarkar are among the frontrunners to replace Prasad as the chief selector.

‘New CAC is in place and new selectors will be in soon’: Sourav Ganguly

“The new CAC has been constituted and the new selectors should be picked by this month,” India Today cited agencies quoting the 47-year-old Ganguly, who took over as the BCCI chief last October, as saying. The former batsman had also said earlier that one who has represented India in the most number of Tests and not the earliest to have played for the country will be the next chairman of selectors.

The outgoing selection panel has often been slammed for its shallow international experience in unison. Prasad, a former India wicket-keeper, said in the past that his panel has left a strong reserve for the national side that would go on to serve it for years to come.

India recently trounced New Zealand 5-0 in a T20I series in their den to achieve a new high. They will now play the Black Caps in a three-match ODI series starting Wednesday and then follow it up with a two-match Test series later this month.

Watch: Irfan Pathan’s interview post his retirement