Ramesh Powar, a former spinner for India, was drafted into the national men’s senior selection committee on Monday. Pragyan Ojha continued to serve as the panel’s head, replacing Ajit Agarkar, whose tenure expired on October 4. According to the BCCI, Ojha, the temporary head, will chair the committee according to seniority (most Tests).
Ojha, who had been the committee’s acting chairman, will remain in that role based on seniority, which is based on how many Test games each member has participated in. He has played in six Twenty20 Internationals, eighteen One-Day Internationals, and twenty-four Tests for India. On October 4, Agarkar’s term as chairman expired. Reports state that he took over in July 2023 and did not request an extension.
BCCI said, “The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising former India batters Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, unanimously recommended the appointment of Powar.”
The screening process for the open selector position took place on October 15 at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, according to a PTI report. In addition to Powar, interviews were conducted with former Indian cricket players Salil Ankola, Wasim Jaffer, Jacob Martin, and Connor Williams. According to PTI, the CAC ultimately decided on Powar, with continuity in the selection panel emerging as a crucial factor ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
During his playing career, the 48-year-old Powar played for India in 31 ODIs and two Tests. Since then, he has worked as a bowling coach at the BCCI Center of Excellence here and as head coach of the Indian women’s team in Mumbai and Gujarat.
