Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will take a decision on senior men’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s future within the next 15 days, said Secretary Devajit Saikia after the 95th Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place here on Friday.
Agarkar, who assumed the chief selector’s role in July 2023, has been a part of a successful period for the national side. Under his term as chief selector, India reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final, won the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and retained the T20 World Cup title at home earlier this year.
His term ends on October 4, and the BCCI will have to make a decision as India enters the final leg of preparations for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup. “Today, there has been no discussion about any individual. We still have 15 days to go. We will take a decision and in appropriate time, we will let you know,” Saikia told reporters.
In a major administrative decision, the BCCI has approved a substantial fee revision for domestic umpires and match referees, marking the first compensation enhancement since the 2017/18 season.
“Since 2017-18, there was no revision of the fees of the umpires. So we have done a restructuring of their categories. Earlier there were four categories, A+, A, B and C. Now we have restructured it as A, B, C and D. All their fees per day has been enhanced substantially,” said Saikia.
The BCCI has also introduced a merit-based promotion and demotion mechanism to foster accountability among match officials. “Those who will be doing good, 10 umpires will be upgraded to the next level. Those umpires who are at the upper level, if they are not performing up to that level or they are a satisfactory level, they will be downgraded. 10 umpires will go up, 10 umpires will go down,” he added.
Saikia also quashed rumours over a possible change of venue for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Ranchi, scheduled to be held from February 19 to 23, 2027. “There are six months left. We will take a call after a few days. We haven’t received any such requests as of now about the change of venue for the Ranchi Test.”
He also informed the new junior men’s selection committee would soon be formed after the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) interviews candidates for the positions. “We have received a large number of applicants for the junior selection committee, which we will give to our cricket committee, which will be competent to select the selectors. We will be trying to complete the process in the next 10-15 days.”
On the subject of aligning with the proposed Central Sports Act, Saikia clarified that the BCCI will await official notification from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports before making any structural amendments.
“Regarding the Sports Act, our stand is very clear. There are a lot of things which are yet to be done from the concerned authority. Once those exercises are completed, and once BCCI comes under the Sports Act, a particular notification has to be issued to make it a designated sport.
“Till that time, we are not supposed to do anything. Whenever that notification comes, immediately, we will spring up in action. We will do our work as per the new rules and the rules framed here,” he added.
Addressing the ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court regarding the matter, Saikia said, “So, as of today, there is nothing like that, which was mentioned in the Supreme Court that day. We will give the clarification on 27th of October, when the matter will be listed next time.”
–IANS
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