'Physiotherapist have advised that both Zaheer and Sehwag need to take rest as they have some injuries. It is an honest truth, the fact of the matter...' said the selection committee chairman.
Underperforming opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan were today rested on medical grounds along with rookie medium pacer Umesh Yadav while big-hitting Yusuf Pathan and medium pacer Ashok Dinda staged a comeback in India's 15-member squad for next month's Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh.
The national selectors, who met in Mumbai today, also elevated Virat Kohli as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's deputy a day
after the Delhi youngster played an extraordinary innings of 133 not out against Sri Lanka to keep India in the hunt for a place in the finals of the ongoing tri-series in Australia.
The selectors also decided to retain veteran Sachin Tendulkar in the team, giving him an opportunity to score his 100th international century.
Selection panel chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth insisted that the team picked for the March 11-22 tournament at Dhaka was the best possible outfit and it was done after taking into consideration the fitness report of the team's physiotherapist as well as a detailed talk with the team management in Australia.
"We have selected the best team possible taking into account the fitness report (of players) from the physio and the (cricket) board. We had a good consultation with the team management too. We had a good talk and it took some time as we wanted to have a clear understanding by talking to people in Australia, got everything sorted out," Srikkanth told reporters after the meeting of the selection committee.
The former India skipper made it clear that Sehwag, who was alleged to have had a fall-out with skipper Dhoni on the rotation policy for the three openers in Australia, was only rested and not axed.
"Unfortunately Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan have been asked to take rest by the physio. They have been rested purely on injury grounds. We have gone strictly by the medical report which says Sehwag and Zaheer Khan need rest because of injury problems.I can assure you 500 per cent that nobody has been dropped. Sehwag and Zaheer have been rested on injury grounds. You all know Virender Sehwag and Zaheer have been top performers for India for quite some time," added the chairman of selectors.
Srikkanth was also annoyed during the persistent questioning by the scribes over Sehwag and said he was not to be blamed for speculative reports in the media.
"We go by, as I said, the fitness report given by the board. The problem with you all (media) is that there has been a lot of speculation going on in the last few days. That's why you are trying to ask me. If you speculate I cannot help. Otherwise you should come and sit in the meeting then," he fumed at a particular scribe.
"No one else has pulled out over there. Physio takes test from time to time. It happens in every tour and every Test match. We have gone by the physical test report and recommendations given by the physio," he explained.
It was learnt that Sehwag is again being troubled by the old injury to his right shoulder for which he had undergone a surgery in England last year soon after the IPL.
It was also learnt that the selectors had Mumbai's Ajinkya Rahane as possible replacement for Sehwag, before zeroing in on the hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan who had lost his berth after the tour to the West Indies prior to the visit to England last year.
Srikkanth said Kohli's elevation to vice captaincy, even in the presence of Gautam Gambhir and the under-performing Suresh Raina, was done with a look at the future and for grooming him to take over the mantle when the need arises.
"I think the question is that we all have to look forward to a slightly futuristic point of view. We all, the selection committee and the board, feel that Virat Kohli is a good future captaincy material," he said.
"Time has also come to groom youngsters in the form of cricket as well as what you call captaincy. I think probably that is the reason the selection committee and the board decided that Virat Kohli should be the vice captain," said the former India opener who also heaped praise on the Delhi batsman for his brilliant knock at Hobart yesterday.
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