World Cup-winning former Delhi captain Kirti Azad applies for state selector's job

NEW DELHI:  Kirti Azad, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, has applied for a selector's position in the senior Delhi team after a "request" from his mentor Bishan Singh Bedi.

The BCCI recently put its upper age limit for national selectors at 60 but it needs to be seen if the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has a different criteria.

Azad confirmed that he has sent his application to the state's three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) headed by former India and Delhi player Atul Wassan.

"Yes, I have applied for selector's position. Back when I was the national selector (and Delhi selector) in the early 2000s, I introduced Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan into the Delhi team.

"I was asked by my 'captain' Bishan Singh Bedi and a lot of cricket lovers and I did my bit to get the glory days of Delhi cricket back," Azad told PTI.

Azad, who is now politically affiliated to the Congress party, was earlier with the BJP.

He has had his share of differences with the late Arun Jaitley when he was the DDCA president.

However, Azad doesn't believe that it would be an impediment to building a strong working relationship with new president, Rohan Jaitley, the former BJP veteran's son.

"Look, I have never had any differences as such with Mr Jaitley. Yes, we may not have agreed on certain issues and I was quite vocal about them. As far as Rohan is concerned, I treat him like a son," said the 61-year-old Azad, who has played 7 Tests and 25 ODIs, apart from 142 first-class games.

"Rohan is a young man and has new ideas. I also don't believe in digging old graves. Let's work together for betterment of Delhi cricket," Azad said.