Long awaited Indian Squad for the WC

[Anil]

16's old enough to be mature enough for Test Cricket in my book. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

Let's look at the youngest Test Match players:
14y 227d Hasan Raza Pakistan v Zimbabwe Faisalabad 1996/97
15y 124d Mushtaq Mohammad Pakistan v West Indies Lahore 1958/59
15y 128d Mohammad Sharif Bangladesh v Zimbabwe Bulawayo 2000/01
16y 189d Aaqib Javed Pakistan v New Zealand Wellington 1988/89
16y 205d SR Tendulkar India v Pakistan Karachi 1989/90
16y 221d Aftab Baloch Pakistan v New Zealand Dhaka 1969/70
16y 223d Talha Jubair Bangladesh v Sri Lanka Colombo (PSS) 2002
16y 248d Nasim-ul-Ghani Pakistan v West Indies Bridgetown 1957/58
16y 352d Khalid Hasan Pakistan v England Nottingham 1954
16y 362d Mohammad Ashraful Bangladesh v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 2001/02

Plenty of those have succeeded, Ashraful even hit 100...

You do realise that these are a handful and of these, Tendulkar, Javed and Mustaq Mohammed are the only ones who have made a success story of their career, don't you? Ashraful looks a bright prospect, but it's early days yet for him. You just proved my point with your list.

 

[Neil Pickup]

i.e. The ones who had the real talent. The others weren't quite top class yet the ones who had the ability stood up and were counted when the call came, aged 16.

Rayudu is undoubtedly as good as Aqib at least, and possibly on par [or better than (throws oil on large fire)] with Mushtaq and Sachin - so he could well handle it.

The others are players that could well not have made it at any age, so starting at 16 (or younger) made little difference when it came to it.

(And unrelatedly, keep an eye on Talha Jubair)

 

[sheerindianspeed]

My Indian squad would be:

Sehwag
Ganguly
Tendulkar
Laxman/Mongia
Dravid
Yuvraj
Kaif
Khan
Srinath
Harb
Bangar/Karthik

12th man: Nehra

15th member: P. Patel

This squad has only 3 genuine fast bowlers of which 1(Srinath) is quite old while Khan is injury prone.There is no way India can go into WC with just three fast bowlers in the squad, there should be atleast 4 of them.

 

[V Reddy]

These are Rayudu's scores this season.

Mumbai - failed in this match. He got out in two crucial situations

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...JI/ELITE/ROUND1/HYD_BOM_RJI_09-12NOV2002.html

Andhra - Broke that record in this match. MSK Prasad ( former Indian Player ) referred to him as the best stroke player he has seen after Laxman.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...NJI/ELITE/ROUND2/HYD_AP_RJI_17-20NOV2002.html

Rajastan - Pretty Average match.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...JI/ELITE/ROUND3/RAJ_HYD_RJI_27-30NOV2002.html

Bengal - Had a good match.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...I/ELITE/ROUND4/HYD_BENG_RJI_19-22DEC2002.html

His one day scores

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...D_LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_TN_ROD-S_06DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...OCAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_KNTKA_ROD-S_07DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...D_LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/AP_HYD_ROD-S_08DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data..._LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/GOA_HYD_ROD-S_10DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...CAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_KERALA_ROD-S_11DEC2002.html

 

[V Reddy]

These are Rayudu's scores this season.

Mumbai - failed in this match. He got out in two crucial situations

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...JI/ELITE/ROUND1/HYD_BOM_RJI_09-12NOV2002.html

Andhra - Broke that record in this match. MSK Prasad ( former Indian Player ) referred to him as the best stroke player he has seen after Laxman.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...NJI/ELITE/ROUND2/HYD_AP_RJI_17-20NOV2002.html

Rajastan - Pretty Average match.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...JI/ELITE/ROUND3/RAJ_HYD_RJI_27-30NOV2002.html

Bengal - Had a good match.

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...I/ELITE/ROUND4/HYD_BENG_RJI_19-22DEC2002.html

His one day scores

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...D_LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_TN_ROD-S_06DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...OCAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_KNTKA_ROD-S_07DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data..._LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/AP_HYD_ROD-S_08 DEC2002.html ( had to a space between 8 and D otherwise a smiley was coming )

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data..._LOCAL/ROD/SOUTH/GOA_HYD_ROD-S_10DEC2002.html

http://www.cricket.org/link_to_data...CAL/ROD/SOUTH/HYD_KERALA_ROD-S_11DEC2002.html

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

MSK Prasad ( former Indian Player ) referred to him as the best stroke player he has seen after Laxman.

I would have thought it would be the best stroke player after Tendulkar.

 

[V Reddy]

Earlier Laxman used to play a lot of strokes. Now a days he slowed down to gain consistency.

 

[Anil]

This squad has only 3 genuine fast bowlers of which 1(Srinath) is quite old while Khan is injury prone.There is no way India can go into WC with just three fast bowlers in the squad, there should be atleast 4 of them.

Where are these "fast" bowlers? First of all, we don't have genuinely quick bowlers, they are all medium pacers. Secondly, other than the ones I mentioned, who else is there who merits national selection? You don't take a raw, inexperienced youngster to the WC and hope for a miracle(We have had only one miracle in the pace department in our cricket history and that was Kapil Dev). You should make do with what you have and this unfortunately is what we have.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I can see this horribly heading off into Balaji-land. Please prove me wrong...

Keep to Rayudu

 

[Anil]

I can see this horribly heading off into Balaji-land. Please prove me wrong...

Keep to Rayudu

Why keep to Rayudu? The topic is about the Indian squad to the WC, isn't it? So, even if it goes into Balaji-land(I can only assure you that I won't be the one to take you there), it is still relevant.

 

[Neil Pickup]

It's just that I'm getting recurring visions of pointless re-statement of points

I fully agree with you about the quick bowlers anyway

 

[marc71178]

If we're discussing the Indian World Cup squad, surely we shouldn't talk about either of them?

 

[sheerindianspeed]

Where are these "fast" bowlers? First of all, we don't have genuinely quick bowlers, they are all medium pacers. Secondly, other than the ones I mentioned, who else is there who merits national selection? You don't take a raw, inexperienced youngster to the WC and hope for a miracle(We have had only one miracle in the pace department in our cricket history and that was Kapil Dev). You should make do with what you have and this unfortunately is what we have.

By fast bowlers i wasn't suggesting genuine quicks, no need to get into that detail!

An inexperiance pacer or even a bastmen can prove to be costly thats why i would select Ajit Agarkar as the 4th pacer! But suppose Ajit or Nehra get injured and can't be slected then India will have no choice BUT to select a raw pacer.As i have pointed out earlier, both Zaheer and Srinath are injury prone, suppose they break down in WC then what? Do you suggest that Kumble should open the bowling then? Just avoiding selecting a pacer is not a wise move and will only disbalance the squad!

 

[masterblaster]

India has got no chance in the WC

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Everyone has a chance...especially if Agarkar plays!

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think that's a bit harsh... no-one has got no chance, it's ODI cricket after all, but not much is more accurate