The preliminary list of 30 Indian probables for the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is to be finalised in Mumbai on by the national selectors, who may include a few proven but currently out-of-form cricketers. The meeting of the five-member selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil is scheduled for 1 pm, Cricket Board (BCCI) secretary Sanjay Patel informed PTI.
Among the proven performers, who are currently not in top form but were members of the victorious 2011 squad, are Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra. Yuvraj, who won the Player of the Tournament award in the 2011 World Cup, has been woeful with the bat recently. So it would be interesting to see if the selectors feel he is still good enough to be included in the preliminary list before it is pruned down by January 7th and sent to the ICC ahead of the February 14-March 29 mega event.
The 32-year-old left hander has scored only one half century in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy and failed in the only innings he figured in for North Zone in the Deodhar Trophy here. Will it be enough for the Punjab batting allrounder, who bowls slow left arm spin, to get into the extended Cup squad, especially with two other players of similar style -– Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel –- is a big question.
Another top performer with the bat who is especially suited for Australian conditions is Virender Sehwag. The Delhi batsman like Yuvraj, has done precious little of note in recent times. His scores, barring an innings of 80 against Haryana in the north zone one-day league, are nothing much to shout about, but he too may be seen as an X factor for his past record. But at 36, he looks a long shot though he said yesterday he was eager to make the cut. His Delhi opening partner Gautam Gambhir, also a member of the victorious 2011 ensemble, has shown much better form and looks the more likely candidate to be among those picked in the preliminary list.
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