Selectors play it safe, recall injured Sreesanth

Team India may have hoped that he would stay on, and recover from the 8220;soft tissue injury8221; on his left calf for the second Test against Bangladesh next weekend.

Team India may have hoped that he would stay on, and recover from the 8220;soft tissue injury8221; on his left calf for the second Test against Bangladesh next weekend. But the national selectors have decided otherwise: Sreesanth will return home for treatment.

True to style, the BCCI issued a press release announcing Sreesanth8217;s return even before the bowler himself was officially informed of his fate after a 8220;fitness test8221; by team physio John Gloster this evening. And by the time that happened, the fast bowler, unavailable for comment due to the Board8217;s media gag, had already started packing his bags.

According to the BCCI, left-arm pacer RP Singh, selected only for the one-dayers, will now stay on as back-up to Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and VRV Singh for the two Tests starting Friday.

Star of India8217;s last Test campaign, in South Africa, the Kochi pacer first suffered cramps after a five-over spell during the first one-dayer against Bangladesh last week. And, it is understood that the injury got aggravated after he, rather too eagerly, returned to field about 90 minutes later.

Just a few days ago, manager Ravi Shastri had spelt out emphatically that Sreesanth 8220;is not going back8221;. And skipper Rahul Dravid had said this afternoon, 8220;We will have a clearer picture actually by tomorrow morning, once he has a chance to go through some actual running.8221; But obviously, the selectors didn8217;t want to take a risk.

8220;Sreesanth8217;s left calf injury has improved but still not at the rate had initially anticipated. Following his fitness test today there are some areas of his recovery that are still not complete. Despite best efforts at treatment, he will not be 100 per cent fit for the 1st Test and he will continue to require treatment for another seven days as per the report of John Gloster, physio,8221; said the BCCI release.

8220;Looking at the injury, it was decided by the selection committee to call back Sreesanth. R P Singh will remain with the Indian team for the Test series,8221; it added.

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This, then, is the second injury blow for Team India over this one-day series, after promising middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary returned home last week without playing a single game after dislocating his shoulder during practice.

And for Sreesanth, who did not play a single match during India8217;s World Cup flop, it would mean another long wait in the sidelines, till the next one-day series in Ireland next month.