World Cup probables on test

Azharuddin8217;s appointment came as a bolt from the blue as the selection committee was to today decide on the team for the forthcoming triangular series featuring India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, the intervention of Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur led to Azharuddin being assured of his status as skipper.

Reflecting on the issue, BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele said: 8220;After talking to the BCCI president I suggested to the selection committee that in the fitness of things it would be proper to announce the captain for the World Cup now. It was immediately agreed upon by the selectors.8221;

The team for the World Cup event will be announced on April 4at Bangalore, he added.

Terming the appointment of Azharuddin as unanimous, selection committee chairman Ajit Wadekar said: 8220;Azhar has been made captain for the triangular series at home and the tri-nation tournament at Sharjah as we felt it would give him enough confidence in the build-up to the World Cup.8221;

Azhar, however, will have to make do without the services of Mumbai maestro Sachin Tendulkar for at least two matches of the triangular series. 8220;Sachin is in London undergoing a check-up of his back and has expressed his unavailability for the first two matches to be held at Nagpur March 22 vs Sri Lanka and Jaipur March 24 vs Pakistan,8221; said Lele.

8220;The selection committee was informed of Tendulkar8217;s condition by the BCCI president with whom he is in touch,8221; Lele added.

8220;We have selected the team from the World Cup squad of 19,8221; said Wadekar. Robin Singh Sr, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Venkatesh Prasad and Virender Sehwag have been omitted. Wadekar said those left out need not getdisappointed as they would get their chances in other matches. 8220;They have been rested.8221;

The urgency of the selectors to judge the match-fitness levels of Mumbai boys Vinod Kambli and Ajit Agarkar was put into right perspective by their inclusion in the squad of 14.

Sadagoppan Ramesh, Amay Khurasia, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Gyanendra Pandey are four players in the team who have yet to make their One-Day International ODI debut. But Ramesh looks a certainty to fill in the vacancy caused by Tendulkar. The team for the remaining matches of the triangular series will be announced on March 24 at Jaipur.

Team for first two one-dayers

Mohammad Azharuddin captain, Saurav Ganguly, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja, Vinod Kambli, Amay Khurasiya, Nayan Mongia wicket-keeper, Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Nikhil Chopra, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Gyanendra Pandey.

Sachin happy to be just one of the team8217;

There has been much brouhahaha over Sachin Tendulkar8217;s refusal toaccept the vice-captaincy for the Asian Test Championship encounter against Sri Lanka. So much so, it even landed National selector Shivlal Yadav in trouble as he spilled the contents of the Calcutta meeting to the media at Hyderabad last week.

Explaining the reasons for Tendulkar8217;s refusal to The Indian Express this afternoon, chairman of the National selection committee Ajit Wadekar said: 8220;When the vice-captaincy was offered to Sachin, he said he was quite happy with things as they stood and was happy to be a part of the team.8221;

Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele while dwelling upon the issue involving Yadav8217;s disclosures said: 8220;As far as we are concerned the matter is closed. He Yadav expressed his regrets and we found his explanation satisfactory.8221;

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