Ravi Shastri was Friday named the chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), in succession to Kapil Dev, but the former India captain sought time to accept the post.

Making an announcement after the annual general body meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here, treasurer N. Srinivasan said that Shastri has "in principle" agreed to accept the responsibility.

"He has agreed in principle to take over as NCA chairman, but has said he would get back after looking at his commitments," Srinivasan told reporters.

Srinivasan said the NCA chairman's job was not a full-time one, and pointed out that if Shastri accepts the post he would have his former India Test spinner Shivlal Yadav, among others, to fall back on. Yadav is the coaches director at the NCA.

Currently, NCA vice-chairman Ajay Shirke is the interim chairman. He was given the responsibility after Kapil Dev was sacked for joining the breakaway Indian Cricket League, floated by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group.

Srinivasan also announced, this time formally, that Vidarbha's Shashank Manohar was elected as the BCCI's next president. He would take over from Sharad Pawar, whose three-year tenure ends in September next year.

The two national selection committees, senior and junior, were retained for the 2007-08 season, Srinivasan said.

Dilip Vengsarkar heads the senior panel and former Test bowler Sanjeev Sharma is chairman of the junior committee.