Monday, January 15, 2007
Casualties Of SA Tour
Various teams have moved into the World Cup mode by announcing their probables for the mega event. India has also has published a list of thirty players from whom a final squad will be selected. Along with that, a fifteen member-squad for the first two matches against the West Indies also has been released. Against the background of the venomous criticism in the aftermath of the Cape Town test, this team was a climb down on the part of authorities. Some of them were so furious that they would have chopped off some players’ heads had they the legal permission for that. But finally all the anger has boiled over and things are back to square one. The only casualty being Virender Sehwag. Sehwag to be fair deserved a break. I personally think no break of any duration is going to change his approach to batting. Back in his back yard, he most probably would have been back to his scoring ways. But it is only just that such waywardness gets some punishment.
Another decision the selectors have taken is that they have dropped some of the known-one-day preferences like Raina, Kaif and Mongia. I don’t know if it is justice on the selectors’ part to play some in the away matches and on their failure there, they are to be sacked and other players are preferred to enjoy the advantages of home conditions. What are we to do if these new faces fail? Will we go back to the dropped names for the World Cup?
Pathan’s trial continues like a mega-serial. The rope given to him seems to be too long. But even that has not helped him. It is surprising that with all the professional help available he has not been able to get back to his wicket taking ways.
Laxman still has not got into the selector’s good books even with all the endorsements from cricket’s bigwigs. And Kumble quite surprisingly has been rested for the first two matches at least. It is intriguing that a player like Kumble is rested now when our WC preparations are moving into the final straight. And they had hinted that Kumble was a more than useful factor in India’s one day plans.
Tags: Indian team for WI ODIs.Sehwag out
