Published: August 18, 2009
Indian Team Selection for Tri-Series Flawed - Youngsters Left Out Gasping
By A.M. Jamsheed Basha
Indian Team for Tri-Series and Champions Trophy in Sri-Lanka - Dravid's Inclusion Questionable. What Message Have Selectors Sent to Youngsters?
The poor display of batsmanship to short-pitched deliveries both in T20 World Cup and West Indies series, prompted nervous selectors to lean back on the likes of Sachin and Dravid to solidify middle order. The inclusion of both Dravid and Sachin is alright but what message have the selectors sent to the youngsters? You have talent, play well in the domestic circuit, show immense potential during IPL but when the question of selection for high profile international matches comes, we will not pick you. This is the demoralising and demotivating message the Indian selectors have sent to our young players.
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What if both Dravid and Tendulkar fail in the Indo-Srilanka series? Will they again change the combination and go in for fresh talent? This is nothing but absurdity. We have immense talent warming the benches. The selectors should have held their nerves and persisted with the policy of taking young talent to the highest international challenges. This could have given them an opportunity to excel. But the selectors had other ideas.
The team's success depends not only on batting and bowling but fielding which is so critical in any game. But players like Dravid, Sachin and Nehra could hardly run to their potential as they used to field some years ago. Age is not on their side and naturally like Ganguly, they are not the best fielders now. The burden of fielding in crucial places would now rest on talented Youvraj, Raina and Gambir, while others are in the list of "also ran" cases. The team has no genuine allrounder. Irfan Pathan would have been crucial both with the new ball and batting down the order.
Kris Srikant was a failure both as a batsman and skipper. He was removed as Skipper soon after his return from Pakistan. He failed to play domestic matches because he took his place for granted. A few knocks of demolition as an opener did not make him an automatic choice as he fell to a leg side delivery more often particularly against Wasim Akram. He was dropped eventually. As a selector and a team Manager for Chennai Super Kings, in both IPL (1) and (2) he failed to see his team reach the pinnacle. He also courted another controversy by not picking up the talented Irfan Pathan in the 50 probables. He had to duck questions, when Yousuf Pathan, obviously misquoted, questioned the omission of his brother from the probables. BCCI is not doing a good job in appointing the selectors to pick the best team.
While every Indian including this writer wished the Indian team all success in the forthcoming Tri-series in Lanka and Champions Trophy, I for one believe that the selectors have done a great injustice to some of the talented players like Badrinath, Munaf Patel, Vijay and scores of others who showed immense talent in the shorter form of the game during IPL II matches.
Let us hope the team that has been chosen performs well. If they don't, then Krish would be held responsible for it. I think the inclusion of Dravid in particular, more as a Test batsman than an ODI player, along with Sachin would be a retrograde step, and only reveals the nervousness of the selectors. Jai Hind.
A.M. Jamsheed Basha is a Chennai-based columnist, who writes at www.newageislam.org and NewsBlaze.com
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