National selector role is an extension of what I was doing, says Sharath

The junior selection committee chairman will be representing South Zone in the newly named All India Senior Men's Selection Committee

S Sharath

CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu captain and chairman of the junior national selection committee, S Sharath, has been named as a national selector by the Cricket Advisory Committee on Saturday. 

Sharath, the first cricketer to play 100 Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu, has been appointed from South Zone. His appointment was smooth as sources in the BCCI indicated that they wanted someone who had good knowledge about emerging talent in the country.

Sharath has played 132 first-class and 116 List-A games and has been a match referee too. But what paved the way for his inclusion was the success of the India colts at the Under-19 World Cup during his tenure.

"Very happy and pleased to get the job. It is a huge honour and I will do it to the best of my ability. I thank the BCCI for giving me this opportunity to serve Indian cricket. I also thank the TNCA for the support," said an elated Sharath upon his return from Mumbai on Saturday evening.

With India hosting the 50-over World Cup this year, the pressure is high to win the trophy which has been eluding them since 2011. "Yes, we are aware that the World Cup is being held at home and the expectations will be high. We are yet to discuss the World Cup at the moment. We have a couple of series in the coming months where we will sit down and plan what needs to be done," said Sharath.

The fact that Sharath is already aware of the emerging talent in the country will come in handy for his job. "I believe the national selector post is an extension of what I have been doing. I like to watch matches and new talent. Our new selection committee, along with Chetan Sharma, will watch all the games, both domestic and international, and have a feel of the emerging talent in the country," he said.

Off late, many Indian players have been on the injury list, so many believe that the selectors must have a larger pool of players and also manage players' workloads. And Sharath is aware of it too.

"Yes, we are aware of the demands of modern cricket and the tight international schedule. At the junior level, I had an idea about how to go about the process. Now, when the new selection committee meets we will discuss all the matters threadbare. We want India to be the best team across formats."

Sharath enjoys a good rapport with both Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman as he had played a lot of cricket with them while representing South Zone.

"I have interacted with Laxman while being a junior national selector. Laxman is doing a brilliant job at the NCA. We have had a lot of discussions about the players, emerging talent and the demands of modern cricket. VVS inputs have always been handy. Now, I will trouble him all the more," signed off Sharath.