Pragyan Ojha was Muttiah Muralitharan’s 800th Test victim, earning him a footnote in cricket’s glorious history. Sixteen summers later, the 40-year-old former India spinner has the chance to take the forefront after being named Chief Selector in the Indian men’s selection committee, one of the most coveted posts in Indian cricket.
The move follows Ramesh Powar’s addition to the five-member selection panel on Monday, where Ojha, by virtue of being the most capped Test player (24 matches), becomes the Chairman. Shiv Sundar Das, RP Singh and Ajay Ratra are other members.
Taking over from Ajit Agarkar will be a tough act to follow, given the brave calls the former Chairman initiated during the critical phase of team transition. Towards the backend of Agarkar’s third year as Chief selector, his no-nonsense vision became too hot to handle for the BCCI.
Ojha is less likely to be confrontational. For now, he is the sort of steadying force the powers-that-be prefer after the media storm over Rohit Sharma’s continuation as an ODI player.
Interestingly, Ojha was the selector on tour in the UK tasked with communicating the selection committee’s view—that Rohit was on notice—during the ODIs in July. It isn’t clear where Ojha personally stood on the matter or what his exact messaging was to his long-time IPL and India teammate. Ojha and Rohit played together for Deccan Chargers in the early years of the IPL.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, Ojha was the selector on tour in the UK tasked with communicating the selection committee’s view—that Rohit was on notice—during the ODIs in July. It isn’t clear where Ojha personally stood on the matter or what his exact messaging was to his long-time IPL and India teammate. Ojha and Rohit played together for Deccan Chargers in the early years of the IPL.
{{/usCountry}}This wasn’t the only occasion, Ojha played the messenger when things got hot. Ojha’s recently retired (Feb 2020) status in the committee came in handy over his last year in the job. His close proximity to the still-active senior players was put to good use with Ojha deputed to act as a troubleshooter to resolve a communication gap between head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting star Virat Kohli. Ojha spoke to Kohli and attempted to act as a pacifier.
Before becoming a selector, Ojha was actively playing on the legends circuit. As an India player, his Test career was bitterly curtailed after his bowling action came under scrutiny. Ironically the Mumbai Test match against the West Indies in November 2013 (also Sachin Tendulkar’s last) where he picked up his only 10-wicket haul, ended up being his last.
Like all Chief Selectors, Ojha will be judged by India’s performance in ICC events. The selection committee’s primary motto will be to put together a squad that can make a strong push for the 2027 ODI World Cup. For now, the selectors are clearly backing Rohit’s experience for the African sojourn. Should the former captain’s form or fitness show signs of decline, things could get trickier for Ojha’s panel.
Currently, Ojha has the company of VVS Laxman in selection meetings. As head of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, Laxman’s presence is to resolve differences with the selection panel (of which there have been many) over player availability for fitness reasons. Presence of a legend with 134-Test experience though can be intimidating too for a section panel that has a combined Test experience of 69 Tests. How that plays out, will be closely watched.
Ojha’s personal equation with Laxman, though, is quite good. The Orissa-born spinner went on to play domestic cricket from Hyderabad and is known to have Laxman’s back in the new role. During their playing days together, their famous last-wicket partnership in the Mohali Test that got India past the finish line against Australia is part of Indian cricket folklore.
Ojha’s personal rapport with key functionaries in Indian cricket is comprehensive. The more consequential Chief selectors in Indian cricket, though, like Dilip Vengsarkar, came with a great ability for critical thinking. Whether Ojha can establish merit-based selection processes and measure up to the varying requirements of different formats in the complex maze of the modern cricket calendar will define if he does justice to the role.