Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed former chief selector Ajit Agarkar, saying the former India all-rounder had to make several difficult decisions during his tenure at the helm of the national selection committee.
Ashwin discussed Agarkar’s stint on his YouTube channel, acknowledging that the selector had the responsibility of making major calls, including decisions involving senior players. Ashwin himself was among the senior cricketers who were phased out during Agarkar’s tenure.
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“The fact is that Ajit Agarkar had the responsibility to take a lot of big decisions in this stint; he had to phase out the senior players, and it cannot be easy,” Ashwin said.
While acknowledging his own experience of being phased out, Ashwin said he wanted to assess Agarkar’s tenure separately from his personal circumstances. He credited Agarkar for his work as chairman of selectors and pointed to the broader changes made during his time in the role.
“I was one of the senior players phased out during his tenure, but still by keeping some distance from that, I want to say that he has been a very good chairman of selectors,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin’s comments were later appreciated by former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, who praised him for publicly supporting Agarkar.
Chopra described Ashwin as someone who speaks openly and honestly about his views. “Ash is a pretty upfront guy, a completely honest guy who speaks what’s in his heart,” Chopra said while discussing Ashwin’s comments.
Agarkar, who had been serving as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee, was responsible for several important selection decisions during his tenure. One of the more challenging aspects of the role was overseeing the transition from an older generation of Indian players.
Ashwin’s comments are notable because he was himself affected by one of those decisions. Despite that, the former off-spinner separated his personal experience from his assessment of Agarkar’s work as chairman.
The former India spinner also highlighted the difficulty involved in making decisions concerning established players. Selection committees are often required to balance the contribution of experienced cricketers with the need to prepare the team for the future.
Agarkar’s tenure consequently included decisions involving some of India’s established names as the team moved towards a new phase.
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, remains an active voice on cricket through his digital platforms. His comments on Agarkar have added to the discussion around the responsibilities and challenges faced by national selectors.
Chopra’s appreciation of Ashwin’s remarks also underlined the unusual nature of the former spinner publicly acknowledging the work of a selector whose decisions had directly affected his own international career.
The discussion comes after Agarkar’s departure from the position of chief selector, bringing an end to his stint overseeing India’s senior men’s selection process.
