Big axe may result in a young side to Bangladesh

The big fallout from the Board’s axe-wielding could be that the team that will tour Bangladesh will be a young one, with some of the stars missing

The big fallout from the Board’s axe-wielding could be that the team that will tour Bangladesh will be a young one, with some of the stars missing, though Rahul Dravid will be skipper (as he will, for Ireland and England).

While the Board has decided to hit out at the players, hitting where it hurts most, their money, apart from knee-jerk reactions like changing the selectors’ selection procedure, and the domestic circuit format change, the humiliating exit from the World Cup remains a pretty much un-probed sector. “It’s a game, anything can happen,” is the official line given.

In all the frenzy the Board hasn’t invested time in rectifying its own slip-ups. It appears that the caretakers of the game have decided to apply just a dressing and leave it at that while the wound is now as deep as it is fresh.

Story continues below this ad

But to start with, the non-performing assets in the Indian team can take a break. For future tours juniors and fresh faces, who have been performing well throughout last season will get preference. There is a possibility that names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh might have to cool their heels, at least for the Bangla tour.

This is also seen as an indirect action by the Board for comments made by two seniors—Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh—in the media.

The board has decided to issue show-cause notices to Sachin and Yuvraj under Rule 38 of the Memorandum and BCCI Rules and Regulations. The two players have been asked for an explanation on their comments to the media.

Greg Chappell had said that he wasn’t impressed with players’ attitude (he also quoted Yuvraj’s name in this regard) and went on to talk about how Tendulkar wasn’t cooperating with the coach and captain and was adamant about opening the innings. “The coming few selection committee meetings will indicate what line the board wants to pursue,” is all that a senior official said.

Story continues below this ad

If—though it remains pure speculation for now—Tendulkar happens to be rested for the tour of Bangladesh, it will be the first such occasion for the senior batsman in his 17-year career that he will not be a part of the Indian team despite not carrying an injury or any fitness trouble.

The domestic turn

Mumbai: The BCCI’s domestic viewpoint—to improve cricketing standards in the country — has finally taken some stern decisions to bring the stars back home. On Saturday in Mumbai it decided that all international players would play a specified number of domestic games every season. Also the Ranji Trophy Elite group would be reduced from 15 teams to 10, but only from 2008-09 season. All the state associations have been asked to prepare “fast and lively” wickets and the home-and-away rotation policy has been scrapped for all tournaments.