The selectors and the team’s think-tank felt there was no need to go backwards, refer to the performances in the 2011 World Cup and choose one or two just for the sake of experience.
So the likes of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Piyush Chawla were omitted from the 30 probables list for the ICC World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29, 2015.
The seam bowlers in the probables’ list are Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma and Ashoke Dinda.
The spinners are R. Ashwin, Parvez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
The deadline for submitting the condensed squad to the ICC is January 7.
Vinay discarded
Karnataka seamer R. Vinay Kumar, whose eight wickets in the home series against Australia 12 months ago came at a costly 43.13, has also not been included. The 30-year-old Vinay Kumar has played 31 matches and taken 38 wickets at 37.79 and clearly the selectors and the think-tank believe he’s not the kind of medium-pacer who will come up trumps in Australia and New Zealand.
In the 16 ODIs he has played overseas, he has taken 19 wickets at 36.00.
The selectors who met at the Cricket Centre on Thursday chose 25 players from the teams that played the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh last June. Suresh Raina was the captain then. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored 38 runs in three matches at 12. 67, has also not been considered.
Bengal pacer Dinda virtually walked into the squad with a match-winning performance in the Deodhar Trophy final against West Zone on Wednesday.
Kerala’s Sanju Samson (second wicketkeeper for the five-match series in England), Murali Vijay (sent as replacement for Rohit Sharma for the ODI series in England), Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey and Uttar Pradesh unorthodox wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has played two under-19 series in Australia, have also got the nod.
Balanced team
BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said captain M.S. Dhoni’s views were taken into account before finalising the probables. “It’s a balanced team; the selectors deliberated a lot. Recent performances were taken into account.”
When asked whether the likes of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have played their last for India, Patel said: “I would not like to comment on this. It was a pure cricket performance and the requirement of time as well as the performances of the young players.
“All of us should be happy that a lot of young cricketers have been considered. The process was absolutely clear and complete with all aspects discussed. After due process the probables were selected.”
The following is the list of probables:
M.S. Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Sanju Samson, R. Ashwin, Parvez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Ashoke Dinda, Kuldeep Yadav and Murali Vijay
