Ex-India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia joins Agarkar, Prasad for national selector's post

After former India pacer, Ajit Agarkar on Friday entered the race for the national selector's job, another notable name has joined him. Former Indian wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia has also applied for the national selector post, BCCI sources told ANI on Saturday. Mongia played 44 Tests and 140 ODIs for India and amassed 2,714 runs across all formats.

Venkatesh Prasad- another contender for the post

Another former pacer Venkatesh Prasad who has served as the bowling coach for the Indian team in the past has also applied for the job. The pacer also represented India in 33 Tests and managed to take 96 wickets. He was considered as a lethal pacer along with Javagal Srinath. Ajit Agarkar had represented India in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs and three T20Is. He is the third-highest wicket-taker for India in the 50-over format.

'It will be very interesting to see who all are short-listed'

Agarkar has 288 dismissals to his credit in the ODI format. He has also been the chairman of Mumbai's senior selection committee in the past. Agarkar is a frontrunner for the chairman's post, according to PTI. "Ajit entering the fray is an interesting development. He is someone who would have put in a lot of thought before applying. If anyone thought that Siva's nomination as a chairman of selectors is a given will now think again. It will be very interesting to see who all are short-listed," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

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The BCCI on January 18 disclosed that they are in search of national selectors and had invited applications. The board in a statement invited applications for the two national selectors (senior men), five national selectors (senior women), and two national selectors (junior men).

READ | Ajit Agarkar applies for national selector's job, frontrunner for chairman's post

The eligibility criteria for senior men selectors are that candidates applying for the post should have played seven Test matches or 30 first-class matches or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches. Earlier, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had said that the new selection committee will be formed after picking the Indian side for the New Zealand tour. Currently, the five-member selection committee is headed by MSK Prasad and includes Devang Gandhi, Sharandeep Singh, Jatin Paranjpe, and Gagan Khoda.

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(Image credits: ANI)