One year into his job as national selector, Raja Venkat continues to be left out of the scheme of things at his home turf. As the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) formed its new senior selection panel on Tuesday, Venkat has yet again been cold-shouldered. The former Bengal batsman has been serving as East Zone national selector since September-end 2008, but surprisingly, he hasn’t served as Bengal selector during his year-long tenure as national selector.

Former national selector Sambaran Banerjee is the chairman of the Bengal selection committee, and his associates in the panel are Devang Gandhi, Moloy Banerjee and Mintu Das.

Despite holding such a crucial post with the BCCI, Venkat is likely to be sidelined from the CAB’s affairs in the years to come as well, since he doesn’t share the best of relationships with the Jagmohan Dalmiya-led CAB administration.

The east zone selector, however, is taking things in his stride. Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, Venkat said: “Look, it’s nothing new that I have been ignored by the CAB administration. It doesn’t surprise me anymore and I don’t feel bad about it either.” Venkat pointed out that as national selector, he has plenty to look forward than lament over CAB’s indifferent attitude towards him. “In the recent past, they (CAB administration) have made me feel unwanted. But I don’t care. My focus is much wider,” he told this paper over phone. Venkat is in Nagpur this week for the Challengers.

Meanwhile, Laxmi Ratan Shukla has been named Bengal skipper for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 meet that will be played in Dhanbad from October 20 to 25.