BCCI increases salary of Chief Selector after Ajit Agarkar's appointment – Reports

Ajit Agarkar to head the selection committee consisting of Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Sridharan Sharath, and Salil Ankola.

Ajit Agarkar will get increased remuneration as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly increased the salary of the chief selector post for which the former India pacer was picked on July 4, 2023.

Chetan Sharma, who resigned from the position earlier this year following a sting operation, was replaced by the former fast bowler. Sharma was ordered to leave by the board after disclosing certain confidential knowledge regarding Indian cricket and its players.

After interviewing Agarkar for the open job, the Cricket Advisory Committee—consisting of Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape—unanimously recommended that he lead the selection committee.

With prior experience as the head of the Mumbai selection committee and a reputation as an astute reader of the game, Agarkar was deemed suitable for the position. Additionally, the BCCI was looking for a young candidate, and Agarkar fulfilled the criteria, having also played T20 cricket, something very few selectors can boast of.

BCCI quells Ajit Agarkar’s concerns about salary by increasing the remuneration for the chief selector post

Despite being the top choice for the BCCI chief selector post, Agarkar wasn’t willing to accept the position due to the low pay. The Chairman of Selectors earns INR 1 crore, a sum much lower than what former cricketers make from commentary, broadcasting, or coaching stints.

Therefore, in order to get him to agree, the BCCI has reportedly hiked the salary for the position to INR 3 crore as per a Cricbuzz report. Whether the other four selectors, currently earning Rs 90 lakh per year, will also receive a pay hike is yet to be determined.

The selection committee will meet on Wednesday, so the new chairman's duties will start right away. The committee, which is now led by a new chairman and includes Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Sridharan Sharath, and Ankola, will choose the team for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies in the US and the Caribbean.

The BCCI has already announced the India team squads for Tests and ODIs and it is expected that the new selection committee will continue giving chances to young stars under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.