Former India cricketer Ajay Ratra has replaced Salil Ankola on the BCCI men’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar. Ratra’s appointment was cleared at the recommendation of the Cricket Advisory Committee.

“The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday named former India wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as the newest member of the men’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar. Ratra will replace Salil Ankola in the committee,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Ratra has been appointed as selector from the North Zone, that has been left unrepresented after Chetan Sharma’s exit. Both Ankola and chairman of selection committee Ajit Agarkar are from West Zone (Mumbai) and it was expected that Ankola would have to go.

While the BCCI constitution, following the recommendations of the Justice (retd) RM Lodha committee, does not make it mandatory for the selectors to be from five different zones, the BCCI has always followed it for operational reasons.

Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee and S. Sharath are the other members in the committee.

The 42-year-old Ratra, who played 6 Tests and 12 ODIs for India, has an impressive track record in both domestic and international cricket. Representing Haryana, Ratra played over 90 First Class matches, scoring close to 4000 runs and had over 240 dismissals.

Ratra’s cricketing journey began at a young age. He was part of the Indian Under-19 team that won the Youth World Cup in 2000 and later captained the team to victory against England in a home series. His early success led to his selection for the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, where he trained under the guidance of renowned coaches like Rod Marsh and Syed Kirmani.

Ratra made his international debut in 2002. One of his most notable achievements was scoring an unbeaten 115 against the West Indies in Trinidad, becoming the youngest wicketkeeper to score a Test century and the second Indian wicketkeeper to do so overseas. This impressive performance earned him recognition as one of the promising young talents in Indian cricket.

Ratra announced his retirement from cricket in July 2015, bringing an end to his 16-year playing career. He last played a first-class game in 2013 for Tripura.

Post-retirement, Ratra has remained involved in cricket, taking on coaching roles. He has been involved with the National Cricket Academy and has also worked as a cricket analyst. His experience and expertise have been valuable in shaping the careers of young cricketers.

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