FROM THE STANDS
S R Khelkoodkar
The Indian cricket team is scheduled to play a tri-series in Sri Lanka in August, and the selectors met this past week to decide on the squad. As with every other series, this selection too is not without dispute, with several newspapers carrying columns both for and against the various inclusions and omissions.
The Telegraph thinks the selection meeting was uneventful. `Thursday afternoon`s senior national selection committee meeting in Mumbai was probably the quietest since the quintet came together some eight months ago.` Typically, they rely on a `well-placed source` to tell them that `the actual selection process didn`t last much more than half-an-hour.`
As for the composition of the team, they allow themselves a pat on the back for having correctly predicted that Dinesh Mongia and RP Singh would be included in the team. `That Mongia, who has been very impressive for Leicestershire through the summer (though he failed to celebrate his call-up, managing just one versus Derbyshire), was in line for a recall and Rudra Pratap could stay on was reported in these columns on Thursday.`
This self-congratulation is repeated in another article on the selection as well. They also find it fit to mention that Sourav Ganguly is excluded, yet again.
The Times of India feels that Robin Uthappa`s omission is unjustified, and they have carried an interview with Brijesh Patel, the Karnataka Cricket Association secretary, who criticises the selection committee for leaving Uthappa out. Mr Patel seems to be firmly against the selection of Mongia. `Mongia has been a failure at the international level. His selection to the team on earlier occasions has been debatable.`
The Hindustan Times too has taken up the case of Uthappa and his omission from the squad, especially with an article titled `The tragedy of being Uthappa.` They say, however, that not many others have questioned the decision to exclude him.
The paper feels that, given that Uthappa is India`s highest-scoring debutant, and given that he has played only two of the seven matches that India has played since that debut, he should not have been excluded from the team. They also feel that since Yuvraj Singh was persisted with despite a string of low scores and the team was rewarded for it, so should it persist with Uthappa.
`But the worse part is, there are not too many voicing as strong a disapproval of Uthappa`s non-inclusion, as they are of the failure to include Zaheer Khan - a bowler who has got his fair share of chances, and might get a few more.` Mr Patel`s disapproval, they say, does not count as much because he is from Karnataka, the same state as the player. The support of people outside the state would have helped, they feel.
The Times of India, like Mr Patel, is sceptical of the decision to include Dinesh Mongia, and feel that the Punjab Cricket Association might be behind it.
`The buzz within the BCCI is the PCA did take an active interest in Mongias selection. A former selector told TOI, How, all of a sudden they felt the need to include Mongia? All this while, the onus was on youth. Now, why are they calling
a 29-year-old inconsistent player the one who can be looked at seriously for the 2007 World Cup?
`Jagmohan Dalmiya was accused of interfering in the selection process. What is Bindra doing now! There is no doubt Mongias selection has raised more than a few eyebrows, and that would be unfair to the player himself.`
The point might be valid, but perhaps someone could have edited the writing.
The Indian Express carries Harsha Bhogle`s column, in which he says that the inclusion of Mongia is good for the team, and in particular good for Irfan Pathan. Mr Bhogle feels that Mongia`s bowling ability will reduce some of the pressure on Pathan, since a lot of the bowling load on the slow Sri Lankan pitches will be taken up by the slower bowlers. Pathan can then find the `space to rediscover his confidence and, critically, his rhythm.`
And, above all this fuss and bother, according to the PTI, stands captain Rahul Dravid, who said he was happy with the team and didn`t comment any further.