With the selectors already having made up their minds on who to include, the exclusions are likely to take more time in the selection meeting for the Sri Lanka tri-series today.
With the selectors already having made up their minds on who to include, the exclusions are likely to take more time in the selection meeting for the Sri Lanka tri-series today.
MUMBAI: The national selection committee, which is meeting here on Thursday to select the Indian team for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, will have to brainstorm on who to drop rather than who to choose. The selectors have, more or less, zeroed in on the new inclusions. The difficult task for them will be to pick the exclusions from the team that did duty in the one-day series against the West Indies.
Source close to the members of the selection committee said Sachin Tendulkar, who was declared fit to resume action, and Punjab all-rounder Dinesh Mongia are certain to be included in the team for the August 14-29 tri-series. Also on the consideration are young Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma and Punjab/Railways all-rounder TP Singh. Both are presently doing duty for the India A team in the TopEnd series in Australia. Besides Tendulkar and Mongia, one of the two A team players will be included in the squad.
The three new inclusions means a certain exit for Robin Uthappa and Venugopala Rao from the squad. Incidentally, both Uthappa and Rao are also in Australia, with the latter leading the India A side.
Anil Kumble will have to wait to return to the national ODI team. The prolific wicket-taker in the Test side was widely tipped to be a part of the ODI team but selection committee sources said he would have to wait till the Champions Trophy to make his ODI comeback. Kumble is playing in England.
The non-inclusion of Kumble is good news for the Mumbai’s Ramesh Powar. The portly offie is certain to board the flight for Colombo on August 10 as is Harbhajan Singh.
The selectors’ plan, it is learnt, is to take eight batsmen, four pacers, two spinners besides the wicket-keeper in the 15-man squad. The four pacers are likely to be Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth. UP’s left-arm pacer RP Singh, who was part of the Windies tour party, may be the unlucky bowler to miss out.
It will be the first time since Greg Chappell took over last year that he will not be attending a selection committee meeting. But board secretary Niranjan Shah, who will convene the meeting, said committee chairman will consult the coach, who is believed to be holidaying in the US. It will be the last but one chance for Kiran More to chair the meeting. Thursday’s meeting will be More’s penultimate as chairman of the selection committee. His final task will come later in the year, to pick the team for the Champions Trophy.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}