In a significant development, the Indian Cricket Board is set to undergo a change in its senior selection committee. Former India pacer Salil Ankola, who served as one of the selectors representing the West Zone, will be stepping down from his role.
Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team preparing for the upcoming Asian Games has faced an early setback. Pacer Shivam Mavi sustained an injury recently, forcing him to miss the continental games scheduled for next month in Hangzhou. The exact nature of Mavi’s injury remains undisclosed, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior selection committee is actively working on selecting his replacement. Initially, there was a consideration to send Yash Thakur, a standby player, but he too suffered a back injury. As a result, Umran Malik is likely to be chosen as Mavi’s replacement.
Notably, the Indian team won’t have reserve players due to strict regulations enforced at the Asian Games village. The players have been summoned to Bangalore for a two-week camp, supervised by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The coaching staff for the second-string Indian team includes VVS Laxman as head coach, Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach, and Munish Bali as the fielding coach.
The Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, with Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the Indian team. Initially, the BCCI had decided to skip the Asian Games due to prior commitments. However, a change of heart led to the decision to field both men’s and women’s teams. The men’s team will be a B-squad, as the primary team will be competing in the 50-over World Cup on home soil. The women’s cricket competition will run from September 19 to 28, while the men’s competition will follow from September 28 to October 8, both contested in the T20 format.
In a separate development, the Indian Cricket Board is set to witness a change in the senior selection committee. The board determined that having two selectors from the same zone was not ideal. Consequently, former India and Mumbai captain Ajit Agarkar, who was appointed as the new chairman of the selection committee, and Salil Ankola, both hailing from the West Zone, led to the decision not to renew Ankola’s term after he completed his one-year tenure as a senior selector. The current selection committee comprises Agarkar, SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, S Sharath, and Ankola. Their one-year contracts will expire in December this year, and the BCCI plans to invite applications for new selectors during its annual general body meeting in Goa. Additionally, a revised pay structure for the selection committee will be presented for approval.