Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI chief selector, shared insights about his role on Saturday. After his playing career, Agarkar transitioned through roles as a cricket commentator before taking up his current position as the BCCI’s chairman of selectors.When asked to compare his different cricket-related roles, Agarkar indicated that being a selector has been the most challenging, while his playing days brought the most satisfaction.
“I will probably go with the easier one first. Being a commentator, and I mean no disrespect, you still work hard, spend hours on the ground. As long as you get the right words out, your job as a commentator is done and you go home,” he said on NDTV World Summit 2025.“Playing gives you the most satisfaction. Every time you step on the field, you know your job is on the line, your place is on the line. One thing that goes for you as a player is that the ball or bat is in your hand. Very little margin between a win and a loss, that’s on the line. “The one thing that goes for you, as a player, is at least the ball or the bat is in your hand. More often than not, if you play well or make a mistake, it dictates where you go as a player. As a selector, once you pick a squad of 15, there is nothing else in your hand. It is challenging because of the depth of cricketers we have at the moment. Lot of the thing are out of your hands. It is a demanding, hectic, high-pressure job. “It is a big responsibility. Once you’ve been a player, you know that you’re shaping careers. A decision that you make can impact a player’s career, in a good or a bad way. You can’t please everyone. So, you try and do the best job you can as a selector.”Agarkar, who has been serving as the chairman of the BCCI selection committee since July 4, 2023, also discussed the pressures associated with his current role.“Having so many players to pick from is a good problem to have. It improves the competition levels, and the performance levels stay high. The sport is so popular in India that there will be people who will be critical of your decisions. The fanbases have increased multiple times over the last few years,” he added.When questioned about his attention to social media trends like #JusticeForShreyasIyer, Agarkar responded firmly: “I don’t. It is a no-win situation. We watch a lot of cricket through the course of the year.”
