"Suspect" action sidelines Harbhajan

The selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which met here today also omitted Punjab opener Navjot Singh Sidhu, Orissa swing bowler Debasish Mohanty and Delhi spinner Rahul Sanghvi — players who were part of the team that visited Zimbabwe. Those making a comeback were VVS Laxman, Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi and Nikhil Chopra.

But the hour-and-a-half discussion which the five selectors — AjitWadekar, Madan Lal, Ashok Malhotra, Anil Deshpande and Shivlal Yadav had along with the manager Ashuman Gaekwad and skipper Mohd Azharuddin could prove to be an exercise in futility. BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele informed that if the team loses it’s first match against Australia at Dhaka, the committee will be reconvened for a fresh selection. “But if they win, then the same team will proceed to Sharjah for the tri-nation series at Sharjah comprising of New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India from November 6 to 13,” he added.

Going back to the horses for courses theory, the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Wadekar stressed that the team was picked keeping in mind the type of pitches at Dhaka. “The tracks there are slow and take turn after noon. Under such conditions Venkatesh Prasad with his clever change of pace should be effective,” he said.

Wadekar said that the other players who came up for discussion were Amay Khurasia, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Saba Karim, Amol Muzumdar and Mohanty. “It was atoss-up between Sanghvi, Kanitkar, Joshi, Khurasia and others,” he said.

Praising the Karnataka all-rounder Sunil Joshi, Wadekar said the Karnataka player was doing what an all-rounder needs to do getting crucial wickets and scoring runs.

The all-round performance of Nikhil Chopra in the Irani Trophy match helped him secure the place left vacant by Harbhajan’s exclusion.

The one to miss the bus narrowly was Madhya Prasdeh, hard-hitting batsman Khurasia, who had scored a century at the Commonwealth Games and also had an impressive outing in the opening match of the Challenger Cup. Of the exclusion Lele said, “One good innings is not enough to make it into the national side.”

When chairman Wadekar was asked about Rahul Dravid’s report card so far, he gave a positive signal. “He now keeps the scoreboard moving,” quipped Wadekar.

The Squad

Mohd Azharuddin (captain), Ajay Jadeja (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Robin Singh, Nayan Mongia (wicket-keeper),Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Ajit Agarkar, Sunil Joshi, Venkatesh Prasad, VVS Laxman, Nikhil Chopra.