Even though the scheduled tour of the Indian team to Zimbabwe next month is yet to be officially confirmed, the national selectors have been told by the BCCI to pick the team in Delhi on June 29.
However, no information over the availability, or otherwise, of the top players has reached the selectors thus far as speculated in news reports, it was learnt.
“So far no one has informed me about non-availability of any player,” selection panel chief Sandeep Patil informed PTI on being queried about the news reports.
He, however, confirmed that the selection panel is scheduled to meet next Monday in Delhi to pick the squad.
News reports have indicated that because of the non-stop cricket schedule of a number of key players over the last year or so, virtually a second-string team could be sent by giving a break to them.
Normally, once being informed by the individual players if they wanted to take a break, the secretary of the BCCI (in this case Anurag Thakur) who convenes the selection panel meeting, informs the five-man committee about the fitness and availability of players for consideration.
It’s not yet known whether Thakur, who is currently in Barbados, West Indies, for the annual conference of the International Cricket Council, has been requested by some top players to leave them out of reckoning for the tour.
The tour itself has been in doubt because of broadcast issues with the BCCI not in favour of Ten Sports, owned by Zee network, who have the broadcast rights for all international cricket hosted by the Zimbabwe Cricket board.
Though there have been reports of the likelihood of the tour being put off to next year, there has been no official word from the host board or BCCI on this count.
The official website of the host board carries the schedule of the matches as follows:
Jul 10: 1st ODI, Zimbabwe v India at Harare (12:30 IST)
Jul 12: 2nd ODI, Zimbabwe v India at Harare (12:30 IST)
Jul 14: 3rd ODI, Zimbabwe v India at Harare (12:30 IST)
Jul 17: 1st T20I, Zimbabwe v India at Harare (16:30 IST)
Jul 19: 2nd T20I, Zimbabwe v India at Harare (16:30 IST).
