India appoints new selectors for test squad

Former Test captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth on Friday was appointed head of India's new selection panel, whose first task will be to pick the Test squad for the upcoming series against Australia.

Srikkanth takes over the position from Dilip Vengsarkar, his former teammate and skipper.The panel consists of five selectors who were nominated at the Indian cricket board's annual meeting in Mumbai following the election of new officials.

Shashank Manohar was elected as the new president in place of federal minister Sharad Pawar, who had completed his term.

"The new selectors have just been appointed, they'll take a few days to pick the squad for the first Test match," Manohar told reporters.

Traditionally the Indian squad is selected after the domestic Irani Trophy match, in which the reigning Ranji Trophy champion takes on a Rest of India squad. The Irani Trophy match concluded on Friday in the western city of Baroda, but the team selection will now be delayed as the new selectors ponder of the list of players.

This is the first time that India's cricket board will be paying the selectors a salary after a recent change of policy on honorary selectors.

Beside Srikkanth, the other national selectors are Yashpal Sharma, Narendra Hirwani, Raja Venkat and Surendra Bhave. Sharma, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, has served as a selector before. Hirwani is also a former Test cricketer. Venkat and Bhave had long stints in India's domestic cricket competitions, but did not make the international grade.