Caribbean cruise selection matters
SRT is not fit, opts out of WI ODIs
Sehwag is sure
Kaif/Rao fighting out for the last spot.
Press Trust of India
New Delhi, April 18:
Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the one-day series of the West Indies tour and his availability for the test series would be known after a fitness test on May 10.
Tendulkar has informed the cricket board (BCCI) that he was still recuperating from a shoulder operation that he underwent last month and would not be fit in time for the five-match series from may 18 to 28.
The Mumbai batsman, however, has left open his availability for the four Tests, a decision which he expects to make on may 10 when his fitness is to be assessed, according to board sources.
The first test begins on June 2 in Antigua.
The Indian team is scheduled to depart for the Caribbean on May 12 and the squad for the tour is to be picked in Mumbai on Thursday.
Tendulkar, who underwent a shoulder operation in London on March 27, was advised a 26-day rehabilitation programme.
The sources said the batsman was progressing steadily but would be part of the Test squad only if he recovered fully.
"Tendulkar's chances of making the Test team is dependent on his recovery and the final assessment of his progress to find his full range of his shoulder movement, graded increases of the strength and control of the shoulder and scapulae will be done by May 10," the sources said.
Meanwhile, the selection committee, the sources said, has more or less decided the 16-member team for the five limited overs games.
"The squad will have seven batsmen and bowlers each and two wicketkeepers," they said adding "Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Kaarthick will be the wicketkeepers."
The sources said that while Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, S Sreeshanth, Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar were the automatic choice, the seventh bowler will be either Rudra Pratap Singh or V R V Singh although Rudra Pratap had better chances of making it.
In the batting department, the team led by Rahul Dravid would have Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh.
The chances of Mohd Kaif and Venugopala Rao making it to the team depended wholly on their performance in the two matches against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
"In case these two fail to get runs, two old horses would get a recall," the sources said.
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Team India resting Sehwag ahead of WI tour.
ABU DHABI, APR 18 (PTI)
Virender Sehwag's exclusion from the team for the first cricket one-dayer against Pakistan here today was explained as an effort to shield the struggling batsman ahead of the tour of West Indies.
"The team management could not risk another failure by the batsman before the start of the West Indies tour. We want him to regroup and work out his batting in nets and not in a pressure situation against Pakistan," said a team source on condition of anonymity.
Sehwag's name featured in the shortlisted 12 this morning with sources insisting the Delhi opener would be played in the first game, given his penchant to score big runs against Pakistan, the source said.
Team manager Rajiv Shukla said not much should be read into Sehwag's exclusion.
"Sehwag was not played at Indore. He is not injured. It was just that the team decide to give Robin Uthappa another chance after some last minute deliberations," Shukla said.
Sehwag is going through one of his worst form slump, having scored only 78 in the last five matches he played against England at home.
With Uthappa showing a lot of promise, the pressure is mounting on the dashing right-hander to sort out his batting in time for the tour of West Indies, beginning May 12.
The team for the West Indies tour would be named in Mumbai on April 20.
SRT is not fit, opts out of WI ODIs
Sehwag is sure
Kaif/Rao fighting out for the last spot.
Press Trust of India
New Delhi, April 18:
Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the one-day series of the West Indies tour and his availability for the test series would be known after a fitness test on May 10.
Tendulkar has informed the cricket board (BCCI) that he was still recuperating from a shoulder operation that he underwent last month and would not be fit in time for the five-match series from may 18 to 28.
The Mumbai batsman, however, has left open his availability for the four Tests, a decision which he expects to make on may 10 when his fitness is to be assessed, according to board sources.
The first test begins on June 2 in Antigua.
The Indian team is scheduled to depart for the Caribbean on May 12 and the squad for the tour is to be picked in Mumbai on Thursday.
Tendulkar, who underwent a shoulder operation in London on March 27, was advised a 26-day rehabilitation programme.
The sources said the batsman was progressing steadily but would be part of the Test squad only if he recovered fully.
"Tendulkar's chances of making the Test team is dependent on his recovery and the final assessment of his progress to find his full range of his shoulder movement, graded increases of the strength and control of the shoulder and scapulae will be done by May 10," the sources said.
Meanwhile, the selection committee, the sources said, has more or less decided the 16-member team for the five limited overs games.
"The squad will have seven batsmen and bowlers each and two wicketkeepers," they said adding "Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Kaarthick will be the wicketkeepers."
The sources said that while Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, S Sreeshanth, Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar were the automatic choice, the seventh bowler will be either Rudra Pratap Singh or V R V Singh although Rudra Pratap had better chances of making it.
In the batting department, the team led by Rahul Dravid would have Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh.
The chances of Mohd Kaif and Venugopala Rao making it to the team depended wholly on their performance in the two matches against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
"In case these two fail to get runs, two old horses would get a recall," the sources said.
_________________________________________________
Team India resting Sehwag ahead of WI tour.
ABU DHABI, APR 18 (PTI)
Virender Sehwag's exclusion from the team for the first cricket one-dayer against Pakistan here today was explained as an effort to shield the struggling batsman ahead of the tour of West Indies.
"The team management could not risk another failure by the batsman before the start of the West Indies tour. We want him to regroup and work out his batting in nets and not in a pressure situation against Pakistan," said a team source on condition of anonymity.
Sehwag's name featured in the shortlisted 12 this morning with sources insisting the Delhi opener would be played in the first game, given his penchant to score big runs against Pakistan, the source said.
Team manager Rajiv Shukla said not much should be read into Sehwag's exclusion.
"Sehwag was not played at Indore. He is not injured. It was just that the team decide to give Robin Uthappa another chance after some last minute deliberations," Shukla said.
Sehwag is going through one of his worst form slump, having scored only 78 in the last five matches he played against England at home.
With Uthappa showing a lot of promise, the pressure is mounting on the dashing right-hander to sort out his batting in time for the tour of West Indies, beginning May 12.
The team for the West Indies tour would be named in Mumbai on April 20.