Neetu David, the former India left-arm spinner, has been appointed as the chairperson of the new women’s national selection panel, with former cricketers Kalpana Venkatachar, Arati Vaidya, Mithu Mukherjee and Renu Margrate the others in the panel.
David, arguably the best female spinner to have played for India, took 182 wickets in her international career, 41 in ten Tests and 141 in 97 ODIs, between 1995 and 2008. She continues to hold the world record for the best innings figures in women’s Test history, her 8 for 53 against England in Jamshedpur in November 1995 still the only instance of a woman picking up eight wickets in a Test innings.
David, of central zone, was appointed the chief of the panel on account of her seniority over Venkatachar (south), Vaidya (west), Mukherjee (east) and Margrate (north), the usual rule with such appointments.
ESPNcricinfo understands the panel’s first assignment would likely be to select the squads for the upcoming three-team Women’s T20 Challenge, slated to be held from November 1-10 in the UAE alongside the IPL 2020 playoffs.
The BCCI had put out an advertisement on their website inviting applications in January. In it, while the criteria were listed – the age limit was 60, international playing experience was mandatory, and the candidates should have been retired for at least five years – no details of the tenure of the new appointments were provided, and there was no update in the board statement issued on Saturday.
More to follow…