The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) interviewed four or five candidates for the senior selection committee position after the application deadline closed on October 14. The interviews are understood to have taken place on October 15, with former India opener Wasim Jaffer among those considered for the role.
According to Cricbuzz, the CAC has decided to repose its faith in Powar, who represented India in two Tests and 31 One Day Internationals (ODIs). Other candidates interviewed for the position included Connor Williams and Jacob Martin, both former Baroda players, and Mumbai’s Salil Ankola.
Regardless of who eventually joins the committee, the selection panel now appears set to have a permanent representative from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier explained why VVS Laxman attended a selection committee meeting in Guwahati earlier this month.
Laxman is understood to have also participated in Friday’s online selection meeting to finalise the ODI and Test squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour. Going forward, he is expected to continue attending selection meetings to help the committee better understand players’ injury status and availability.
Parthiv Patel, who was reportedly a strong contender to head the new selection committee, apparently did not apply for the position. At least, he was not among the candidates interviewed by the CAC.
Powar was also interviewed for the junior selection panel and was initially considered for the chairman’s role before eventually being co-opted into the senior committee. The position of chairman of the junior selection committee may now go to Dodda Ganesh, a former India pacer from Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the composition of the junior selection panel is also taking shape, although some appointments remain unconfirmed. According to sources, Arun Sharma of Jammu & Kashmir could represent the North Zone. Sharma, 53, played 65 first-class and 47 List A matches between 1994 and 2009.
A certain L Pawar, a former Gujarat player, may represent the West Zone on the Under-19 selection panel, while a candidate named Bora from Assam could represent the East Zone. The likely candidate is 54-year-old Deep Bora.
Pankaj Singh could represent the Central Zone, although his appointment has not yet been confirmed. With Powar emerging as the leading candidate for the senior panel and several names under consideration for the junior committee, the selection process is nearing a decisive stage, while the expected involvement of the Centre of Excellence signals a continuing role for player fitness and availability assessments in selection meetings.
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