 Kirmani during his playing career, pictured in 1980 |
Syed Kirmani, India's most successful Test wicket-keeper, has been appointed the country's chief cricket selector. Kirmani, regarded by many as the finest Indian stumper and a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, replaces Brijesh Patel.
Patel, a former test batsman, took over last year but stepped down after undergoing a heart bypass this month.
Kirmani claimed 198 victims in his 88-Test career spanning a decade since making his debut in 1976.
He was critical of India's decision to use key batsman Rahul Dravid as a makeshift wicket-keeper in the World Cup.
"It is a crying shame India does not have a specialist keeper," he said in an interview to BBC Hindi at the start of this year's tournament.
The 53-year-old Kirmani's appointment was announced at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the final day of its two-day AGM in Calcutta on Sunday.
Former Test players Kirti Azad, Pranab Roy and Kiran More as well as Sanjay Jagdale retain their posts in the five-member national selection committee.
MMIX
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