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Cricket

'Paisa hee paisa hoga' - Fans abuzz as Ajit Agarkar set to receive annual salary of INR 3 crores as Chairman of selection committee

Ajit Agarkar was appointed as the new chairman of the selection committee. Here's how much he'll receive as salary and how fans reacted.

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Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar (Source: Twitter)

The Indian Cricket Board has formally named former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar as the chairperson of the senior men's selection committee. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), made up of Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape, conducted a virtual interview with Agarkar, who is currently in London, on Tuesday. The CAC unanimously endorsed Agarkar for the position of panel leader. Reportedly, his salary will be INR 3 crores annually and the update has shocked the fans and Cricket community alike.

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The 45-year-old Agarkar was the lone applicant that the CAC interviewed, according to sources. The selection committee already consists of Shiv Sunder Das, Salil Ankola, Subroto Banerjee, and Sridharan Sharath. He is the fifth member. Since Chetan Sharma left his position as head selector in February as a result of a news channel sting operation, the position has remained vacant. The first task for Agarkar will be to choose the team for the five T20I matches in the West Indies and to lay out a plan for the World Cup in 2023.

Other members of the selection committee will receive INR 90 Lakhs annually

Wednesday's selection meeting is scheduled, and it is uncertain whether Hardik Pandya will be formally anointed the T20 team's captain. Additionally, it is anticipated that the selectors will clarify if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play a part in the T20 squad. According to Indian Cricket Board regulations, Agarkar, who has played 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20Is, is the panel member with the most experience. Additionally, he was a member of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team that captured the 2007 T20 World Cup.

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Two selectors on the new committee will be from the West Zone, while the North Zone will not be represented. The updated constitution does not specify that selectors shall be picked on a zonal basis, contrary to the unwritten practice that one selector be chosen from each of the five zones. It is believed that Ajit Agarkar was hired with the assurance that the chief selector's annual salary will be significantly boosted from the former pay scale of Rs 1 crore. The annual income of the other members is Rs 90 lakh.

Here's how fans reacted:

India featured Twitter Reactions