Sandeep, however, said he was not aware of being axed."I haven't received any information from either Hockey India or the selectors, so I can't comment," he said.
India’s drag flicker Sandeep Singh has made many a comeback, none less than the famous return to the national team after being wheel chaired for almost two years in 2006 after being accidentally shot at.
However, it might well be the end of the road for the former India captain as far as the Hockey India selectors are concerned. The 27-year-old has been left out of the list of 48 core probables for next month’s Asia Cup in Malaysia.
“Sandeep has had his time,” government observer Harbinder Singh, who was part of the selection panel of the probables, told dna. “When you have drag flickers like VR Raghunath, Rupinder Pal Singh and youngsters like Gurmail Singh, there can be no place for someone like Sandeep.”
India’s dismal show in the recent FIH World League Round 3 (semifinals) in The Netherlands, alongwith Sandeep’s poor personal form, seems to have been the last nail in the coffin for the selectors.
“Sandeep, as a defender, has a lot of weaknesses. If your attacking unit is scoring four goals and the defence is allowing five, that is a serious problem. His weak defence was ultimately a loss to the team,” Harbinder added.
The selection panel felt blooding in youngsters was the way forward. “The seniors have to make way for juniors. We were not satisfied with the result at The Netherlands, and we felt our defence and failure to convert penalty corners was the main reason for it,” he said.
Sandeep, however, said he was not aware of being axed.“I haven’t received any information from either Hockey India or the selectors, so I can’t comment,” he said.
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