IHF takes the safe option

It is the midfield — where India were prone to error and lacking imagination in Amstelveen — that could have done with a revamp. Even new face Michael is returning after an illness.

One inclusion to have raised eyebrows is that of Deedar Singh, who was named for the Champions Trophy just two days before the team’s departure and not utilised there. It appears that chief coach Rajinder Singh, who is believed to have made a strong case for Deedar’s inclusion this time, plans to use him as the team’s main drag-pusher.

Naik’s recall was more predictable; he was dropped by Rajinder Singh after suffering an injury in the four-nation Rabobank tournament in Holland in 2002 but ignored for the rest of the season.

Yet the exclusion of several talented players should be worth a thought. in the country who could have been given an opportunity to prove themselves. Defender Kanwalpreet Singh, shaky in the Champions Trophy, could have been replaced by Lazarus Barla of Indian Airlines. Barla was a member of the Indian team that won silver in the 1997 Junior World Cup and also played in the 2000 Olympics.

There was also scope for the inclusion of a winger — Sameer Dad, hero of the 1998 India tour of Pakistan, comes to mind — as the forward line suffered from poor finishing in the Champions Trophy.

But the IHF, its secretary-general K Jothikumaran told The Indian Express, was against experimenting in the Asia Cup. ‘‘All that will be done at the Afro-Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers,’’ he said.

It’s surprising because the Asia Cup was the ideal time to try out players waiting in the wings. Besides, after the setback in the Champions Trophy, it was expected that the IHF would start planning seriously for the Olympic qualifiers.

More so because the Indian team will be expected to peak twice in five months next year, in March during the qualifiers and again August-September, if and when they make it to the Games. Their inability to be consistent was evident after their two titles in Australia and Germany just before the Champions Trophy.