BCCI's zonal system policy didn't allow Agarkar to become the chief selector this time.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (March 4) named former spinner Sunil Joshi as the next chief selector. Apart from Joshi, former India pacer Harvinder Singh has also been added to the All-India Senior Selection Committee.
The appointments were made as the BCCI decided to stick with its zonal policy while shortlisting candidates to fill the positions of two national selectors. As a result, the likes of Ajit Agarkar, Nayan Mongia and Maninder Singh missed out on the high-profile job.
However, a TOI report claims that Agarkar and all others from other zones who applied this time will not have to reapply when the tenures of Jatin Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh ends in September.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed to TOI that the application of Agarkar will be considered when the next round of interviews will be held.
Having played 26 Tests, 191 ODIs and 4 T20Is, Agarkar was deemed as hot favourite for the chief selector role. But BCCI tweaked its policy and went back to the zonal system which ruled out the former fast bowler since fellow Mumbaikar Paranjpe still has eight months left in his stint.
The next bunch of selectors is expected to take charge after the T20 World Cup in November.
Agarkar and Maninder can also aspire to be the chairman of selection committee.
"When the new selectors are brought in, the experience in international cricket will be re-evaluated and the chairman of the selectors could be appointed accordingly," a source close to the development told TOI.
The BCCI statement on Wednesday evening stated that: "The CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI."
"It was earlier decided that the best candidates should be interviewed. Even the new constitution says so. But later, a section of the BCCI contested that it would result in ignoring a zone altogether," a senior BCCI official told TOI.
"You can't jump to a conclusion that the players from the Central Zone can't be good selectors. It would have set a bad precedent," the official added.