Pragyan Ojha likely to be included in BCCI Men's selection panel

The BCCI has advertised for positions in the men's and women's selection committees. It seeks to induct two new selectors into the Ajit Agarkar-led men's committee and four into the women's committee. September 10 is the deadline for applications.

The BCCI has not specified which candidates will be replaced or which zones the new members will represent. However, it is learnt that the two new members in the men's committee will come from the South and Central zones.

S Sharath, from the South, has completed his term, and the perception is that Pragyan Ojha, a former India international, will replace him. It is still not clear who will represent the Central zone and who will be replaced. In the current committee, SS Das and Subrato Banerjee have both represented both East zones in their playing days.

The contracts of the West and North Zone selectors are being extended, as Agarkar (from West) and Ajay Ratra (from North) were inducted into the committee only recently.

According to the BCCI, applicants must have played at least seven Tests, 10 ODIs, or 20 First-Class matches, must have retired from the game at least five years earlier, and must not have been a member of any BCCI Cricket Committee for a cumulative period of more than five years.

In the women's selection committee, four of the five members - Neetu David (chairperson), Renu Margrate, Arati Vaidya, and Kalpana Venkatachar - have completed their terms. Shyama Dey Shaw, the fifth member of the panel, is eligible to continue.

The eligibility criteria for the women's committee are that the applicant should have represented the Indian women's national team, must have retired from the game at least five years earlier, and must not have been a member of any BCCI Cricket Committee for a cumulative period of more than five years.