As per the reports, Sharma – who was in Kolkata for this year’s Ranji Trophy final until Thursday – had sent his resignation to the BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Sharma did not turn up at Eden Gardens on Friday.
The voluntary exit by the chief selector has made things simple for the BCCI, which, otherwise, would have had to be engaged in a long-winding disciplinary procedure starting with a show-cause notice, a temporary imposition of suspension and then a formal hearing followed by a decision from the Ethics Officer.
It is also learnt that the Indian team management was unhappy with Sharma’s revelations during the sting operation, as many felt that it would now be difficult for its players to regain trust.
Sharma, the former Indian cricketer with 23 Tests and 65 ODI caps, was appointed as chief selector of the Indian team in December 2020. But during his term, India had disappointing campaigns in the consecutive T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022. Though other members of the previous selection panel were sacked after India’s T20 World Cup semifinal exit in Australia, Sharma was reappointed for the job after the Ashok Malhotra-led Cricket Advisory Committee elected him as the chairman of selectors after conducting interviews in January.
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