There is far too much cricket being played nowadays, and perhaps it is just as well that matches for seniors are rationed: Ayaz Memon
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly being rested for the one-dayers against Bangladesh may not be the most dramatic or diabolical decision taken by a selection committee in India. There is far too much cricket being played nowadays, and perhaps it is just as well that matches for seniors are rationed. This could, however, also be indicative of a shift in selection policy, as two other instances from the past would suggest.
In 1971, chairman of the selection committee Vijay Merchant used his casting vote to dislodge the seemingly unshakeable Mansur Ali Khan from the Indian captaincy, and in 1990, Raj Singh Dungarpur ousted Krish Srikkanth from the top job, replacing him with the bewildered Mohammed Azharuddin.
Both Merchant and Dungarpur explained that they were effecting these changes to infuse fresh blood in Indian cricket. Merchant wanted to ‘catch them young’, which meant that players like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Eknath Solkar and Ashok Mankad got opportunities. Dungarpur, characteristically more euphemistic, claimed he would create a ‘Team of the 90s’, and the biggest gainers were Tendulkar and Anil Kumble.
The two teams selected for Bangladesh by Messrs Dilip Vengsarkar and Co do not reveal a clear-cut agenda for pursuing youth, but the composition of the teams suggests that the seniors will now be under pressure from freshers — or those making a comeback — to perform and retain or regain their places.
In fact, Irfan Parthan, Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan have not been considered for either series, which hardens the perception that the selectors have been instructed by the BCCI to make performance-not reputation — the main criteria for being in the team. Likewise, Mohammed Kaif is still sidelined, having done nothing exceptional in domestic matches.
The one quirky decision is to keep Sehwag in the one-day team, where he has struggled for months, and not in Tests, where he has done reasonably well. Perhaps Sehwag still has Dravid’s trust in him as a match-winner, and in some cases, the captain’s wish must be accommodated.
Sensibly, an effort has been made to include as many potential India players and divide them into the one-day and Test teams respectively. That gives the selectors a chance to asses form and talent for the bigger series’ ahead.
In all, 23 players will be traveling to Bangladesh for the two series’, with only seven players common to the two teams. Not everybody will agree with all the names, but at this juncture, that is not germane to the issue.
What matters is how quickly Indian cricket gets back on the rails again.
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