With the Big Three out of the general frame, there is a plethora of young faces doing the rounds of the national squads — Tests, one-dayers, Twenty20 — and the very concept of ‘fringe players’ is getting a bit jaded. However, at the same time, the opportunities available to these fringe players aren’t too many. Much of the recent India A South Africa A series was washed out, leaving the many who were planning this route back to Team India frustrated. The NKP Salve Challenger Series, which starts at the Motera tomorrow will be another of those dwindling opportunities. Selectors will watch, with the Pakistan series on their minds, but how far fresh talent can impress them, when the likes of Virender Sehwag, and Mohammed Kaif are fighting to get back in, is to be seen.Sehwag’s last ODI was for Asia XI in a game against Africa XI in Chennai in January. He scored eight. In the recent Twenty20 match against Australia in Mumbai, he made five. Sehwag’s India Blue clash with Kaif’s India Red in the opener tomorrow.Kaif has been out of ODIs since November 29, 2006. That day he made 10 runs in an ODI vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth.There will be more jostling for berths — Gautam Gambhir, S Badrinath, Ishant Sharma, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Kaarthick, Joginder Sharma, Ramesh Powar, Ranadeb Bose and Parthiv Patel. India Green, led by wicketkeeper-batsman Patel will play their first match on October 26.Meanwhile, the BCCI has appointed Vijay Patel as the coach of India Green. Patel replaces Venkatesh Prasad as the coach. However, no reasons have been given as to why Prasad opted out.
