Blue-eyed boys continue to be in team: Kirmani

KOCHI: Former selection committee chairman Syed Kirmani on Saturday said some 'blue-eyed' boys continue to find place in the Indian cricket team despite bad performance.

"There are certain blue eyed boys who are lucky and continue to be in the team even if they do not perform well.

There are some unlucky ones who become scapegoats even if they perform well," Kirmani told reporters in reply to a question that why Virender Sehwag continued to find a slot in the Indian team despite poor performance.

Asked if he favoured a retirement age for cricketers, Kirmani replied in the negative saying "It should be peformance based. There should not be an age for retirement,
but performance should be the criterion."

Kirmani also favoured a mix of youth and experience in the team.

"You need to have senior players in the team. Youngsters take long to mature and you cannot have only them in a team. A team should be a 'wonderful blend of senior and junior players," he said.