Ajay Ratra appointed member of Team India men's selection committee; replaces Salil Ankola on the panel
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Ajay Ratra has been named as a member of the Ajit Agarkar-led men's selection committee. He replaces Salil Ankola, while the remainder of the panel, comprising Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, and Sridharan Sharath remains the same.
Ratra was interviewed for the post in June 2024 by the Cricket Advisory Commitee, along with the likes of fellow former players Reetinder Singh Sodi and Ajay Mehra. The candidate will also assume the responsibilities for the North Zone scheme of things.
He had applied for the post back in 2022 as well when Chetan Sharma was the chairman. On that occasion, he faced competition from Nayan Mongia, Maninder Singh, and Shiv Sunder Das for the vacant role.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement confirming Ajay Ratra's appointment as a selector.
"The Cricket Advisory Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday named Mr Ajay Ratra as the newest member of the Men's Selection Committee headed by Mr Ajit Agarkar. Mr Ratra will replace Mr Salil Ankola in the Committee," the statement read.
"As a selector, Mr. Ratra will work alongside the existing members of the selection committee to identify and support the next generation of cricketers who will represent India on the global stage," the statement continued.
Ratra has worked closely with the Indian squad in the past, when he was part of the coaching setup during the ODI series in South Africa in 2023. The first-team coaching step were involved in the preparation for the red-ball series, and Ratra, being part of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) was asked to assist, while Sitanshu Kotak oversaw the proceedings.
Ajay Ratra has represented India in six Tests and 12 ODIs
The Haryana-born player made his debut for India in the famous ODI series against England at home in 2002. He made his Test debut soon after in the West Indies in April, and was dismissed for a duck on his maiden innings.
His last set of appearances also came in the same year, following which he committed himself to domestic cricket. The wicket-keeper batter represented Haryana, Goa, and Tripura over the course of his career before announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2015.