MSK Prasad to be chief selector; Ajay Shirke re-elected as BCCI secretary

Mumbai: Former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad was on Wednesday appointed as the chief selector by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The ex-keeper was appointed as the latest chief selector at the BCCI’s 87th Annual General Meeting (AGM), in Mumbai, on Wednesday.

The BCCI also appointed four other selectors from their respective zones during the AGM. Devang Gandhi, Jatin Paranjpe, Gagan Khoda and Sarandeep Singh have been appointed as the four Zonal selectors.

Prasad represented India in six Tests and 17 ODIs, at the turn of the century.

Interestingly, the apex cricket governing body has decided to defy the Lodha panel recommendations, which had asked the board to do away with the zonal selector system.

Another major point of difference between the BCCI’s action and the Lodha recommendations is that the board have gone forward with their AGM, despite the Supreme Court appointed panel advising against it. The Lodha panel had allowed the BCCI to hold the AGM, on conditions that they do not take any major decisions, which may affect the future of the board.

Meanwhile, Ajay Shirke has also been re-elected the BCCI secretary, at the AGM, on Wednesday.

It was also decided at the AGM, that BCCI president Anurag Thakur will continue as India’s representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC).

It was earlier reported that BCCI has been in contact with former president N Srinivasan, who was one of the favourites to become the board’s next representative. However, after the meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, it was decided that current board president Thakur will continue as the BCCI representative.

Former India paceman Venkatesh Prasad has also been retained as the chairman of selectors of the Under-19 side.