'Agarkar can ask that question to Rohit. He has the right': Ex-India star digs out controversial 'Ashwin' decision

The former India star made a major remark on Ajit Agarkar's appointment as chief selector of senior men's selection committee.

Earlier this week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the appointment of former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar as chief selector of the senior men's selection committee. The announcement came days after Agarkar had stepped down from his post as assistant coach of Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals. The post of chief selector had remained vacant since February earlier this year, when Chetan Sharma was sacked following a sting operation where he leaked sensitive information about the Indian team.

Ajit Agarkar (L) was named the chairman of BCCI men's senior selection committee earlier this week (File)

Almost immediately following Agarkar's appointment, the BCCI announced India's squad for the T20I series against West Indies that saw the continued absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as well as call-ups for young batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma.

In his tenure as chief selector, one of the major priorities for Agarkar would be to help the side end the ICC trophy drought. India last won an ICC title in 2013 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy, and has since largely been facing defeats in semi-finals or final. Agarkar is also likely to handle the transitional phase in Indian cricket with Hardik Pandya taking up the leadership role in T20Is. With Rohit currently 36 and Virat Kohli turning 35 this year, the former India all-rounder is likely to be tasked with preparing the next generation of Indian cricketers.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra, on his official YouTube channel, has already laid down the expectations from Agarkar during his time in the office.

“You will be remembered for the results that you produce. Just like your coaching is judged on the basis of results, when you take up the role of selector, the way your team has performed, whether you handled the transition well, could you prepare the next generation of players, did you give your team the best chance to win the trophy... these are the questions that will be asked from Agarkar,” Chopra said.

The former India batter also stated that Agarkar would also have rights to ask questions about India's playing XI, further insisting that the chief selector can definitely ask for the reasoning behind dropping Ravichandran Ashwin from the World Test Championship final against Australia last month.

“Ajit Agarkar can also ask the question to Rohit, 'why didn't you play Ashwin? What was the thought process?' He doesn't decide the XI but he has the right to ask, because he is the chairman of selectors,” Chopra stated.