Indian domestic season 2006-07

[adharcric]

In principle yes, but look at the England side: they have Cook (an opener) batting at three. I'd play Dhawan any day ahead of Bali/Tehlan, even if it means him batting at three. Sehwag could well bat in the middle order anyway.

Exactly. Sehwag has batted in the middle-order for Delhi quite often simply because they have three other top-class openers, but I'd prefer to see him open because he does it for India and that is of utmost importance. Dhawan came in at one-down for the A team in Australia so that would be the logical choice here as well. He's an immediate national prospect (one of the ten best batsmen outside the national team) and he needs to play every match for Delhi.

 

[adharcric]

The team can only have two openers, so Dhawan may have to be benched once more. Anyway, Sehwag may not be available for a few matches, so that should get Dhawan into the team.

By the way, would you consider Mithun Manhas as a middle-order batsman for the Indian ODI side? He's got a hard-to-match average over 50 and is a reasonably good fielder. He may be the best limited-overs batsman in the scene now.

He may have the stats, but that doesn't always translate into international success. I'll have to watch him play against quality opposition before making a serious judgment of his abilities and that's unlikely because I don't see Manhas getting a chance in the A team and Duleep matches aren't telecast internationally. I trust that the selectors will do a good job of selecting the A team and the best players get an opportunity. IMO, they've done a good job over the past year (albeit the old batch of selectors) with the exception of the Sodhi>Sharma choice for the all-rounder's slot.

 

[Arjun]

He may have the stats, but that doesn't always translate into international success. I'll have to watch him play against quality opposition before making a serious judgment of his abilities and that's unlikely because I don't see Manhas getting a chance in the A team and Duleep matches aren't telecast internationally. I trust that the selectors will do a good job of selecting the A team and the best players get an opportunity. IMO, they've done a good job over the past year (albeit the old batch of selectors) with the exception of the Sodhi>Sharma choice for the all-rounder's slot.

The selectors often leave out key players in the A team and pick a few to make up the numbers. Frankly, Venugopal is no more a prospect for ODI's than Manhas, yet we see Venugopal in most selections while Manhas never gets a match. Frankly, with figures like that, Manhas should be a regular ODI prospect, ahead of some ODI regulars and fringe players, and looks a lot more deserving of an ODI spot than some current ODI players.

 

[Arjun]

With Zaheer shifting from Baroda to Mumbai and Vinod Kambli missing from the probables for the season, this may be the new Mumbai team.

• Jaffer
• Mane
• Indulkar
• Mazumdar
• Rohit Sharma
• Abhishek Nair (RM)
• Ramesh Powar (OB)
• Agarkar (RFM)
• Samant (WK)
• Nilesh Kulkarni (C,SLA)
• Zaheer (LFM)
• RESERVE: Sushant Marathe
• RESERVE: Bhavin Thakkar
• RESERVE: Wilkin Mota (RM)
• RESERVE: A'vishkar Salvi (RMF)

They've lost Bahutule and Munaf, but they've now got Zaheer and still have Powar. It's still difficult to think of a Mumbai team without Tendulkar, but if he's ready, whom do you drop from the middle-order in the XI? Mazumdar is over the hill according to a few, while the likes of Indulkar and Sharma are not seasoned.

 

[adharcric]

There's the Waingankar kid too, right? Or is he with Maharashtra?

 

[Dravid]

With Zaheer shifting from Baroda to Mumbai and Vinod Kambli missing from the probables for the season, this may be the new Mumbai team.

• Jaffer
• Mane
• Indulkar
• Mazumdar
• Rohit Sharma
• Abhishek Nair (RM)
• Ramesh Powar (OB)
• Agarkar (RFM)
• Samant (WK)
• Nilesh Kulkarni (C,SLA)
• Zaheer (LFM)
• RESERVE: Sushant Marathe
• RESERVE: Bhavin Thakkar
• RESERVE: Wilkin Mota (RM)
• RESERVE: A'vishkar Salvi (RMF)

They've lost Bahutule and Munaf, but they've now got Zaheer and still have Powar. It's still difficult to think of a Mumbai team without Tendulkar, but if he's ready, whom do you drop from the middle-order in the XI? Mazumdar is over the hill according to a few, while the likes of Indulkar and Sharma are not seasoned.

Zaheers addition to the Mumbai squad his a huge boost. Any chance of Sachin playing for Mumbai after the Indian series? Or will he rest like always?

 

[Arjun]

Zaheers addition to the Mumbai squad his a huge boost. Any chance of Sachin playing for Mumbai after the Indian series? Or will he rest like always?

Let's just hope he does. He once said that he actually turns up for domestic matches when he has the time, and he's right. He made a few matches when the Indian team was off-duty, and has played every match of the last two challengers.

 

[Arjun]

About Reetinder Sodhi, Sunil Gavaskar says that he knows how to use the system to his benefit. Once, before a selection for the final ODI's against the West Indians in 2002, he bowled a few overs in the nets near BCCI headquarters in Kolkata, and the selectors, who had a meeting then, picked him. For some reason, Ganguly didn't give him an over and played five bowlers, including Bangar, in that match. He must have done that again, bowled some rubbish in Mumbai, got selected for India A, bowled the same rubbish and got carted around by the other A-teams facing him.

 

[Arjun]

Controversial Pakistan seamer Sarfraz Nawaz will be coaching the Delhi team. What are your comments on that? Intikhab Alam was a coach who was very well-organised and intelligent, but I don't know what to expect from Sarfraz. Maybe a series of bouncers from Ishant Sharma?

 

[Dravid]

Didn't he once protest about how much he was being paid?

His international record is pretty decent and his domestic record is good. But we all know just because a person was a good player, doesnt mean they will be a good coach. I just looked at the stats for Delhi from last season. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/32093.html this guy was the leading wicket taker for Delhi and he was only in his second season last year I believe. Delhi might be looking to improve him and get him as much coaching as possible as he seems like a promising bowler. In 8 matches he has 36 wickets.

BTW Arjun what website do you use to get information on whats going on in domestic Cricket?

 

[Arjun]

In a recent article, probably the only one, he said nothing about being paid. He may only be hired to give advice off and on to the seamers.

I'm not sure about Nanda, whether he's really that special, because the Delhi selections are often rigged to favour star sons or blokes promoted by muscular 'students' each time, pushing up some misfits.

All the information I get is from Times Of India or Daily News and Analysis, two local papers. I then check occasionally on the internet. That article on Sarfaraz is on Yahoo news.

 

[adharcric]

Sarfraz Nawaz could really help out with the Delhi seamers, especially Ishant Sharma. If he can give Sharma some good coaching, we could really benefit.

 

[Arjun]

The official launch of Neo Sports happened yesterday. Today, they'll be covering Bundesliga (German soccer) matches. Tomorrow, they'll be covering Duleep Trophy. That's surprising, since this BCCI-controlled channel was supposed to leave out matches in the East intentionally. Whatever they cover, hopefully we'll get to watch it.

 

[Dravid]

Will Neo Sports be available in Delhi or is it only in a few states right now?

 

[Arjun]

NEO Sports is available everywhere. It's up to the cable operator to decide whether to air it or not. I repeatedly asked mine to show NEO but they said they'll only show if there's a live match. I told them there was a live Duleep match, but still no signal.

That said, NEO will only cover what's being shown in West Zone and maybe North, but they'll cleverly avoid East Zone matches.

 

[Dravid]

Injury hits both teams ahead of the final. VRV Singh has been ruled out from tomorrows match, and Malinda Warnapura and Chandana are both doubtful also for Lanka.

 

[chaminda_00]

Malinda Warnapura played on is on 65 not out, looks like a good prospect, especially in ODIs, as he also a part time off spin bowler. Sri Lanka A are 3/110.

 

[predator_05]

Joginder and Gagandeep have very good records at FC level, but never got a look in. Is this because they just aren't good enough or are they just being screwed by regionalism and corrupt selectors ?

 

[Arjun]

Joginder and Gagandeep have very good records at FC level, but never got a look in. Is this because they just aren't good enough or are they just being screwed by regionalism and corrupt selectors ?

That's a very interesting question you've got there. Several reasons exist for that. There are some cases where they're not that good, or they're just not needed. Dinesh Mongia and Venugopal Rao have good domestic figures, but we've seen they're not that good at the international level, though some still are retained in the team. Off-spinner Kulamani Parida is one of the best bowlers in action right now, but the team doesn't need a specialist spinner. With the focus on extra pace, swing bowlers like Gagandeep and wicket-to-wicket seamers like Paul are left out.

Regionalism is dead. We don't find selections done on that now. What is more annoying, at times frustrating, is the conservatism displayed by the selectors. They seem to be going in the opposite direction, when you expect the team to go forward. They're jsut too afraid to take risks, as seen in the Chairman's last comment on domestic cricket.

 

[Arjun]

Sri Lanka A are at 272/8 right now, with Ganegama scoring 18 rapid runs, yet to be dismissed. Gagandeep is the top bowler with three wickets, while Rajesh Sharma and Joginder Sharma have two each. CricInfo's scorecards are stuck in the wrong time, unless you ask for a full card. Still no sign of NEO Sports on television. The cable operator said he'd look into it, but didn't get back to me yet.