The BCCI on Thursday conducted a very important meeting where India captains Shubman Gill (ODIs and Tests) and Shreyas Iyer (T20Is), along with India coach Gautam Gambhir, were present. Several top BCCI officials, along with Centre of Excellence (CoE) director of cricket VVS Laxman, were also in attendance. However, missing from the meeting, both physically and virtually, was chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Ajit Agarkar and his tenure as BCCI chief selector. With Agarkar missing the meeting, there were widespread rumours. However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia quashed all rumours.
“He was out of station. He could not be part of the meeting. This meeting was called at very short notice. He was not in town. He was in such an area where he could not join online despite his best efforts,” Saikia said in an interaction with the media.
Asked if there was any discussion regarding an extension for Agarkar as the chairman of selectors, Saikia replied, “There was no such discussion in today’s meeting.” Saikia also quashed rumours surrounding Laxman’s appointment as the BCCI’s director of cricket.
“I do not comment on new rumours. We did not have any such kind of discussion, nor do we have any such intention,” he said.
Agarkar’s tenure has been marked by calls that demanded conviction and the ability to withstand criticism. His bullish backing of Suryakumar Yadav as a long-term T20I captain over Hardik Pandya was one such move.
Far more sensitive was the decision to replace the extremely successful and sentimental favourite, Rohit Sharma, as ODI captain.
In both instances, Agarkar did not attempt to hide behind silence. He fronted up, taking the inevitable bullets that came with such high-profile calls.
If statistics alone were the parameter, every cricket lover could pick their own playing XI. But selection is rarely that straightforward.
Perhaps for Agarkar, the most crucial realisation has been that a selector cannot afford to be a people-pleaser.
The role demands distance, clarity and the courage to accept that popularity cannot be the yardstick for every decision. It has not been an easy path.
One can say with certainty that Agarkar has rarely had anyone providing cover fire for the decisions he has taken.
The criticism and accompanying questions have largely come his way, and he has faced them head-on.
With PTI inputs
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