Who are India’s new selectors Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh?

Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh, former Indian Test cricketers, will join Devang Gandhi, Jatin Paranjpe and Sarandeep Singh on the new selection panel for the Virat Kohli-led senior team. Joshi will be the new chief selector.

Why have they been chosen?

Joshi will replace the outgoing MSK Prasad as the new chief selector, who helmed the panel for five years. His eventful tenure included manning the committee for the 2019 World Cup, and has coincided with Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s successful reign in charge of the men’s team.

“Tenures are finished, tenures are finished. You cannot go beyond tenure. All of them don’t finish, so majority of them stay, so it should not be a problem,” Sourav Ganguly, BCCI president, had said in December, hinting at MSK Prasad’s exit, whose stint drew criticism at times, especially over over-experimentation and poor player management.

Who are the new selectors?

Sunil Joshi, a 49-year-old former left-arm spinner and a handy lower-order bat, represented India in 15 Tests and 69 ODIs from 1996 to 2001. A stellar first-class career – he took 615 wickets – Joshi could not translate that success into a prolonged international career, but he continued to ply his trade in the domestic circuit, ending in 2012, before proceeding to coach.

Thanks for the warm wishes! Will do my best. #NewJourney https://t.co/lJJyhTXnoL

— Sunil Joshi | 🇮🇳 ಸುನಿಲ್ ಜೋಶಿ (@SunilJoshi_Spin) March 4, 2020

He went on to become Oman’s spin bowling coach in 2015, before performing similar roles for the Bangladesh and USA national teams in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

Emerging as one of India’s most impressive fast-bowling talents in the early 90s, Harvinder Singh’s career ran almost parallel to Joshi’s, although he finished with fewer international appearances (19), three of which came in Test cricket. After his India career finished in 2001, Harvinder continued at domestic level until 2008, picking up close to 300 wickets in 109 first-class matches.

Have I seen them somewhere before?

Joshi made his Test debut in Birmingham, on India’s 1996 tour to England, alongside six other debutants [including Min Patel, Alan Mullally and Ronnie Irani]. He did not bowl in either innings, which turned out to be his only Test that series. A five-wicket haul, against Bangladesh [in their debut Test], was the notable highlight in his Test career.

[caption id=”attachment_138978″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] Joshi cleans up Nasser Hussain during the India A-England game in 2001[/caption]

He gained prominence with eye-catching figures of 10-6-6-5 against South Africa in Nairobi in 1999, but went wicketless in his next four games, highlighting his inconsistent run in India colours.

During the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008, he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore, featuring in four games alongside Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.

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Harvinder’s Test debut came in 1998 Chennai Test, where he removed Mark Taylor in his opening spell, but he played just two Tests after that, despite being earmarked for greater success earlier on in his career. He did produce a few fine spells during the 1997 Independence Cup in Toronto, including a three-wicket haul against Pakistan, but his international career couldn’t progress beyond 2001.

What’s in store?

Joshi and Harvinder were selected out of 44 shortlisted applicants – including ex-India quicks Ajit Agarkar and Venkatesh Prasad – and chosen by a three-member Cricket Advisory Committee. Their tenure will begin with their first task being the selection of India’s ODI squad for the three-match home series against South Africa this month.

The focus will be on white-ball cricket and workload of top India players, with no Tests scheduled until the end of the year, and one eye on the T20 World Cup. Although, after India’s 2-0 series defeat to New Zealand, India also face a nervous end to their World Test Championship campaign.