CRICKET | Ratra replaces Ankola in men’s selection committee

Ajay Ratra.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Ajay Ratra, the former wicketkeeper-batter, has replaced Salil Ankola in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) men’s senior national selection panel. The official announcement came on Tuesday evening, almost three months since Ratra and three others were interviewed for the post by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee.

“His insights will be instrumental to the committee in ensuring that the best talent is identified, nurtured, and given the opportunity to excel at the highest level,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media release, while formally announcing the long-pending change in the selection panel.

Ratra’s induction restores the convention of the national selection committee comprising a selector from each of the five zones.

Ever since Ajit Agarkar came in as chief selector in July 2023, the west zone had two representatives whereas the north zone had been overlooked. Ankola — who was elevated from Mumbai’s chief selector into the national panel in December 2022 — is likely to be inducted into the national junior selection panel. 

Besides his 18 international caps, including six Test matches, Ratra had an illustrious domestic career before retiring in 2013-14. In the last decade, he has coached three state sides and has had stints with the National Cricket Academy. He was a part of India’s men’s support staff for the tour to South Africa last year.