India name list of probables - Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly dropped?

[Manee]

Twenty20 World Cup, 2007

Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly not in probables

Cricinfo staff

July 7, 2007

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have been left out of the 30 probables that India's selectors picked for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in South Africa in September.

List of probables

Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Sreesanth, Manoj Tiwary, Ajit Agarkar, Karan Goel, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhiskek Jhunjhunwala, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rajesh Pawar, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Munaf Patel, Niranjan Behera, Praveen Kumar, Aniruddh Srikkanth, Ramesh Powar, Robin Uthappa, Niraj Patel

It would seem that the three kings of India have been dropped but on further analysis, they have chosen not to play citing that twenty20 is a young man's game.

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/no-sachin-sourav-rahul-for-2020-wc/25855-5.html

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

First thoughts:

1. Seeing as Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly will have been playing almost non-stop since the DLF Cup last year, it makes sense to rest them, especially when you consider the BCCI's attitude to Twenty20. Ganguly's county record is less than impressive; Dravid probably doesn't have the shots, even if some grafting is required; only Tendulkar of the three would really stand out as an ideal Twenty20 player.

2. Where is Dinesh Mongia? He has almost as much Twenty20 experience as the whole of this squad put together and is a proven performer, especially with the ball.

Can anyone fill me in on Goel, Behera and Srikkanth? Thanks.

 

[alternative]

Quite shocked with that list.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Hmm 'chosen' not to play...

I think there's a combination of things going on here, I highly doubt Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly decided to give someone else a chance in a World Cup. If the selectors just come out and say they dropped them because they won't really be up to much in Twenty20 at this stage in their career then the selectors would get lynched.

 

[Manee]

Hmm 'chosen' not to play...

I think there's a combination of things going on here, I highly doubt Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly decided to give someone else a chance in a World Cup. If the selectors just come out and say they dropped them because they won't really be up to much in Twenty20 at this stage in their career then the selectors would get lynched.

Why do you doubt they gave others a chance? They have a ridiculous number of matches this season and probably want a break at 34 years old.

I await your responce.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Why do you doubt they gave others a chance? They have a ridiculous number of matches this season and probably want a break at 34 years old.

I await your responce.

And so they pick some of the biggest and least tiring matches to take a rest... right.

 

[adharcric]

And so they pick some of the biggest and least tiring matches to take a rest... right.

Biggest? These are probably among the least important matches of the year for Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Mind you, I am looking forward to it and will certainly watch with enthusiasm. Anyways, the selectors probably wanted to select youth and the big three made their job easy. Very glad about this move.

 

[adharcric]

Can anyone fill me in on Goel, Behera and Srikkanth? Thanks.

Goel is a young, top-order batsman for Punjab who topped the Twenty20 run charts and fared very well as a part-time spinner, taking 6 for 23 from 5.1 overs over 10 matches. Looks to have good potential in general. Behera is a young, left-arm spinner for Orissa who did well in the Twenty20 tournament but I haven't heard anything great about him. No idea where Srikkanth came from ... he's being hyped up as a big hitter but I'm not sure why. HB or Arjun might know ...

 

[honestbharani]

Goel is a young, top-order batsman for Punjab who topped the Twenty20 run charts and fared very well as a part-time spinner, taking 6 for 23 from 5.1 overs over 10 matches. Looks to have good potential in general. Behera is a young, left-arm spinner for Orissa who did well in the Twenty20 tournament but I haven't heard anything great about him. No idea where Srikkanth came from ... he's being hyped up as a big hitter but I'm not sure why. HB or Arjun might know ...

He is the younger son of Krish Srikkanth and he has been doing decently well for TN in the OD games and perhaps did well in the Twenty 20 National championship. Even I am not sure how he was picked. But he is definitely a good fielder. That, I have actually seen live.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Biggest? These are probably among the least important matches of the year for Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Mind you, I am looking forward to it and will certainly watch with enthusiasm. Anyways, the selectors probably wanted to select youth and the big three made their job easy. Very glad about this move.

Yea, an inaugural World Cup is far less important than a hundred or so mickey mouse ODIs... The trio jumped before they were pushed.

 

[Dasa]

No.

 

[Arjun]

Niranjan Behera started off as an offie for Orissa, but his batting turned out to be a surprise package, as he went about scoring rapid 50's from positions as low as eight. He's got decent T20 figures, but he's only been picked to make up the numbers, or as one more all-rounder in the list. That team has a few bits-and-pieces folks, but Behera's a regular bowler, so maybe that put him ahead. Goel, as the stat sheets reveal, has a very high (for T20) average with three scores over 50, and is a decent part-time bowler. I've seen him in action, and he's a caution-to-the-wind batsman.

All in all, a decent list. There's not much point discussing the Three Kings opting out, it's too heated a debate to continue. They've cast the net wide to include several multi-skilled players such as the now-out-of-form Irfan Pathan, his powerful elder brother Yusuf Pathan, Joginder Sharma (despite a less-than-average T20 record), the under-rated Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Rajesh Pawar, whooh!

 

[Pratters]

Yea, an inaugural World Cup is far less important than a hundred or so mickey mouse ODIs... The trio jumped before they were pushed.

You are being highly cynical. Your giving the Twenty20 world cup a lot of importance doesn't mean every one else will.

 

[Arjun]

What would an ideal T20 Indian team look like? Given the options at hand, it won't be a bad idea to have a team with six bowling options and batting till nine, but all eleven have to field well. If they pick a team similar to the current (or so) Indian ODI team, they're toast.

 

[Arjun]

Praveen Kumar for India T20!!!

One can always hope...

...no, just what's needed!!!

 

[Pratters]

Dhoni is favorite to be captain, Karthik vice captain. Sehwag is likely to be recalled.

 

[Manee]

Praveen Kumar for India T20!!!

One can always hope...

...no, just what's needed!!!

He has a brilliant twenty20 record but whether he can maintain that in the big stage is yet to be seen. How is his fielding?

 

[Arjun]

He has a brilliant twenty20 record but whether he can maintain that in the big stage is yet to be seen. How is his fielding?

Fielding is good. Better than half the current Indian ODI side. In fact, fielding is not an issue with players from Uttar Pradesh, who are very athletic.

 

[Pratters]

Fielding is good. Better than half the current Indian ODI side. In fact, fielding is not an issue with players from Uttar Pradesh, who are very athletic.

He is shifting to Railways now, as are 4 others apparently.

 

[Arjun]

Also pitch in for Yusuf Pathan. The elder brother of the out-of-form Irfan is a stylish batsman with a lot of power. Very much like VVS Laxman or Dinesh Karthik, but much stronger, and can whack the ball a long way. Given the success of stock spinners in ODI's these days, he will be useful as a stock spinner. You have Dhoni, Yusuf Pathan, Ramesh Powar and Piyush Chawla and that's a strong six to nine. The disappointment is the form of Irfan, which seems so woeful that he doesn't look like being picked for India in any form of the game in the near future. Which is why Praveen Kumar should be in, no matter what.