Parthiv Patel did not apply for the vacant West Zone selector post after the Wednesday deadline
Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as BCCI chief selector ended earlier this month, triggering the search for a replacement
Ramesh Powar could now emerge as a contender for the senior selector’s position from the West Zone
Ajit Agarkar’s stint as BCCI chief selector finished earlier this month, and applications for the empty West Zone selector post were due on Wednesday. Parthiv Patel stayed out of the race. Ramesh Powar, long seen as the front-runner for the junior men’s selection committee chair, may now be in contention for the senior selector’s West Zone slot.
Laxman's Growing Influence
Patel may have stayed away because VVS Laxman is gaining more sway in Indian cricket.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said VVS Laxman, who heads the Centre of Excellence, would be present at every selection meeting. Once Patel stayed out of the contest, several reports said Pragyan Ojha would remain interim chairman of the selection committee.
"BCCI would have preferred continuity with Agarkar staying on till the World Cup, but things didn't go as expected."
It also quoted the source as saying, "If a new chairman of the selection committee comes in, there's a chance his vision could be different from that of the people working now. So, the board will have to gauge the vision of the new selector. With Laxman's growing influence, the board may let things remain the way they are at present."
Pay Policy Shift
The BCCI wants bigger names to head the selection panel and is relaxing its pay policy.
After RP Singh and Ojha joined the selection panel, the BCCI raised its budget for panel expenses by Rs 3 crore to Rs 17.45 crore.
The spending plan has risen again. For 2026-27, the BCCI lifted the budget to Rs 19.35 crore, the report said.
BCCI contacted two cricketers who had played nearly 100 Tests, but both turned it down.
