Former pace bowler Ajit Agarkar has been appointed chief selector of Indian men’s cricket after being “unanimously” elected to head a five-member committee.

Agarkar’s appointment comes after his predecessor Chetan Sharma resigned following a sting operation by a TV channel, which caught him gossiping about national stars.

A three-member committee appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday recommended Agarkar for the role of chairperson of the men’s selection committee “based on seniority”, from the total number of Test matches.

Agarkar, 45, has represented India in 26 Tests, 191 one-day and four Twenty20 matches in an international career between 1998 and 2007.

The Mumbai-born Agarkar was part of India’s victorious squad in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.

The rest of the selection committee members include Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola and Sridharan Sharath.

In February, Sharma, also a former fast bowler, stepped down after his gossip and stunning claims were recorded on a hidden camera and aired by broadcaster Zee News.

The 57-year-old had accused ex-captain Virat Kohli and former cricket board chief Sourav Ganguly of a clash of egos.

He also claimed the widespread use of unsanctioned injections by players to pass fitness tests.

Last year, the BCCI sacked the entire selection panel following India’s dismal T20 World Cup performance, but Sharma was later brought back before he quit.