There was a lot of speculation as to who would take over from Raja Venkat as the national selector from East Zone
All that was laid to rest when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan picked former India stumper Syed Saba Karim for the job.
Karim, who played one Test and 34 ODIs, pipped at least three candidates from his zone to get the coveted post. When MiD DAY conveyed to him the news of his appointment, he appeared pleasantly surprised. “Oh! Really? It’s a huge honour for me that the Board and state associations considered me for the post,” said Karim.
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The former Bengal skipper admitted that this is a crucial phase in Indian cricket which needs to be handled with honesty and hard work. “We are embarking on a crucial phase. After the home series (vs England), we will be travelling later in the year, but India is blessed with some magnificent talent and that will make our job easier,” he said.
Asked about the transition period that India is currently going through following retirements of senior players, Karim named Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina as vital players for future challenges. “This happens to all teams and India is no different. Yuvraj, Kohli, Raina and others have the capability to do well at the highest level and I am sure they would do justice to their talent,” he said.u00a0