Ajit Agarkar knows a thing or two about being dropped from his time as a fast-bowling all-rounder for India, during which he played for the country 221 times. He knows about whisper campaigns based on nothing — suggestions that someone had their place only because of proximity to someone powerful. When push came to shove, as selector, he ensured he wouldn’t have to endure the experience again.
Agarkar wrote to the BCCI informing them that he would not be seeking an extension to his tenure as chairman of selectors on the eve of the Annual General Meeting of the Board. He might have sensed the writing on the wall, even though it made logical sense for him to carry on for another year, completing a natural cycle that would have ended with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa in September.
