***Official*** India in West Indies

[silentstriker]

On another note, didn't Kiran More and Dravid say that they wont have Make shift openers and so on since the series loss in Pakistan.

Welcome to the world of Indian Cricket. Where hard learned lessons are forgotten during selection meetings.

 

[marc71178]

Mr. President!!!!!!!!!! I am shocked!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know fully well that the Great One can bowl even with a basketball.

I was merely warning the members that although we know that, the selectors are still most incorrect in their assumptions.

His selection would also have provided a back-up opening batsman...

 

[no1_gangsta_786]

I think Dhoni up the order could work. I remember the few times when he has come up the order he has scored big so maybe India could use him up the order.

 

[silentstriker]

I think Dhoni up the order could work. I remember the few times when he has come up the order he has scored big so maybe India could use him up the order.

Not in tests. Don't even think about that. Plus Sehwag + Dhoni wouldn't match well. You'd be 100-0 after ten overs, or 5-2 after three.

 

[Sanz]

Kiran More and his team of selectors have gone Crazy. How else can one explain AA's exclusion and their plans to promote Dhoni as opener.

Dravid/Chappell should give a rest to their constant shuffling of batting orders and focus on building a robust batting order where everyone knows his role.

 

[no1_gangsta_786]

Yeh definetly not in Tests....i ment in ODIs.

 

[silentstriker]

Kiran More and his team of selectors have gone Crazy. How else can one explain AA's exclusion and their plans to promote Dhoni as opener.

Dravid/Chappell should give a rest to their constant shuffling of batting orders and focus on building a robust batting order where everyone knows his role.

The problem with that is that such an order would not be flexible enough to adapt to every situation. And what if (and when) there are injuries? You will need to reshuffle your order then, and you don't want people who've never played that position before.

 

[adharcric]

Will you guys ever learn how to understand the Indian selection committee? There are a bunch of good moves and then one ******** statement which you should just ignore.

Remember "Ganguly is an all-rounder so we don't need Zaheer"? Never materialized.
Now "Dhoni can open so we don't need Gambhir". Don't believe it.

 

[adharcric]

Test Squad

Opening Batsmen: V Sehwag, W Jaffer
Middle-Order Batsmen: R Dravid*, VVS Laxman, Y Singh, S Raina, M Kaif
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, D Karthik
Seamers: I Pathan, S Sreesanth, M Patel, VRV Singh
Spinners: A Kumble, H Singh, R Powar

On Gambhir - Having a reserve opener isn't that huge because Dravid is quite capable if the need arises. The real problem is the absence of a legitimate short-leg fielder in this side - let's hope that doesn't bite us in the *** again.

On Raina - This was inevitable. We haven't seen a teenage batsmen earn this much praise in a while now ... not since Tendulkar arrived a long time ago (am i wrong?). He's unlikely to get a game right now though.

On Karthik - Good move. Karthik won't get any games, but he'll keep pressure on Dhoni and remind him what good wicketkeeping is all about.

On Agarkar - He has been a good one-day bowler in the past but that hasn't made him a good test bowler. Chances are he would've done better at this stage because he seems to have matured, but I'm glad they're looking to the future and putting their faith in VRV Singh. Agarkar would have been the safe pick, but this pace attack is the most potentially devastating we've had in a while.

On Powar - Again, he won't get a game but we might as well bring him in the squad to provide competition for Harbhajan Singh and see what Powar can offer when he becomes a regular in home tests.

 

[silentstriker]

Opening Batsmen: V Sehwag, W Jaffer
Middle-Order Batsmen: R Dravid*, VVS Laxman, Y Singh, S Raina, M Kaif
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, D Karthik
Seamers: I Pathan, S Sreesanth, M Patel, VRV Singh
Spinners: A Kumble, H Singh, R Powar

On Gambhir - Having a reserve opener isn't that huge because Dravid is quite capable if the need arises. The real problem is the absence of a legitimate short-leg fielder in this side - let's hope that doesn't bite us in the *** again.

On Raina - This was inevitable. We haven't seen a teenage batsmen earn this much praise in a while now ... not since Tendulkar arrived a long time ago (am i wrong?). He's unlikely to get a game right now though.

On Karthik - Good move. Karthik won't get any games, but he'll keep pressure on Dhoni and remind him what good wicketkeeping is all about.

On Agarkar - He has been a good one-day bowler in the past but that hasn't made him a good test bowler. Chances are he would've done better at this stage because he seems to have matured, but I'm glad they're looking to the future and putting their faith in VRV Singh. Agarkar would have been the safe pick, but this pace attack is the most potentially devastating we've had in a while.

On Powar - Again, he won't get a game but we might as well bring him in the squad to provide competition for Harbhajan Singh and see what Powar can offer when he becomes a regular in home tests.

VRV has one type of ball: Sort-of-fast.

 

[silentstriker]

Opening Batsmen: V Sehwag, W Jaffer
Middle-Order Batsmen: R Dravid*, VVS Laxman, Y Singh, S Raina, M Kaif
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, D Karthik
Seamers: I Pathan, S Sreesanth, M Patel, VRV Singh
Spinners: A Kumble, H Singh, R Powar

On Gambhir - Having a reserve opener isn't that huge because Dravid is quite capable if the need arises. The real problem is the absence of a legitimate short-leg fielder in this side - let's hope that doesn't bite us in the *** again.

On Raina - This was inevitable. We haven't seen a teenage batsmen earn this much praise in a while now ... not since Tendulkar arrived a long time ago (am i wrong?). He's unlikely to get a game right now though.

On Karthik - Good move. Karthik won't get any games, but he'll keep pressure on Dhoni and remind him what good wicketkeeping is all about.

On Agarkar - He has been a good one-day bowler in the past but that hasn't made him a good test bowler. Chances are he would've done better at this stage because he seems to have matured, but I'm glad they're looking to the future and putting their faith in VRV Singh. Agarkar would have been the safe pick, but this pace attack is the most potentially devastating we've had in a while.

On Powar - Again, he won't get a game but we might as well bring him in the squad to provide competition for Harbhajan Singh and see what Powar can offer when he becomes a regular in home tests.

I will never understand why people think that a certain person is ready for test cricket without having at least two years of domestic experience. For every Tendulkar that was promoted early, there are many more failures....some of which might have been avoided had the players been allowed to gain some maturity and experience in FC cricket.

And as for looking to the future? Thats just BS, as there is no reason why VRV has a bigger chance to be your 'future' than AA, especially if he bowls consistantly like he has done so far.

"Potentially" devastating you say? Yea, potentially devastating for the Indians if their guess is wrong. And thats the problem...when you pick players, it shouldn't be a 'guess'. They should have proven themselves at the domestic level, and you should have some idea on what they can do.

 

[marc71178]

VRV has one type of ball: Sort-of-fast.

But the big question is "can he hit sixes?"

 

[adharcric]

I will never understand why people think that a certain person is ready for test cricket without having at least two years of domestic experience. For every Tendulkar that was promoted early, there are many more failures....some of which might have been avoided had the players been allowed to gain some maturity and experience in FC cricket.

And as for looking to the future? Thats just BS, as there is no reason why VRV has a bigger chance to be your 'future' than AA, especially if he bowls consistantly like he has done so far.

"Potentially" devastating you say? Yea, potentially devastating for the Indians if their guess is wrong. And thats the problem...when you pick players, it shouldn't be a 'guess'. They should have proven themselves at the domestic level, and you should have some idea on what they can do.

I agree with you that young phenoms shouldn't be thrown into test cricket without substantial first-class experience, but that applies more when the selectors are going to give up on the player if he fails right away. Take Parthiv's example. He sucked and he was given chances and he still sucked so he was dropped. He's still in the selectors' radar though and he's earned a place in the A team now. Ignoring the fact that Dhoni and Karthik are far better than him, Parthiv can still make a comeback if he performs well enough. That's why I don't believe it's such a high-risk gamble to try out a young player if you're ready to treat players fairly and based on current performance rather than solely on past failures. If they're ready, they'll contribute and you'll have another young gem in the side; if they're not, they'll go back to domestic cricket and work their way back so that they can earn their place after maturing and developing. Now tell me how giving Piyush Chawla a test did any damage. It was clear that he wasn't ready for test cricket and now he's back in the A team getting valuable experience. It hasn't hurt Chawla and it hasn't hurt Indian cricket.

Why VRV and not AA? Some would say that VRV is 22 and AA is 28, but you can't really call that "old". The selectors and the scouts have seen VRV more than any of us at the domestic level, and there have been signs that this guy is talented (Challenger, Duleep/Deodhar, Eurasia) so you can't just call it a "guess". Besides, this guy is supposed to have been riddled by injuries lately, so we don't even know if we've seen his best. I'm not saying VRV will be a beast or a bust, but the selectors wouldn't invest so much in a 22-year-old if they hadn't seen something special in him. Let's wait and see.

By the way, how much domestic/A-tour cricket have you watched or followed silentstriker?

 

[roseboy64]

West Indies have made two changes to their squad:

Brian Lara (capt), Chris Gayle, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Carlton Baugh (wk), Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed.

Chattergoon and Hinds in, Morton and Chanderpaul out.

 

[silentstriker]

But the big question is "can he hit sixes?"

Good point.

If he were able to hit a six, then all my complaints about him would drop, as he would clearly be the best batsman since Bradman.

 

[silentstriker]

I agree with you that young phenoms shouldn't be thrown into test cricket without substantial first-class experience, but that applies more when the selectors are going to give up on the player if he fails right away. Take Parthiv's example. He sucked and he was given chances and he still sucked so he was dropped. He's still in the selectors' radar though and he's earned a place in the A team now. Ignoring the fact that Dhoni and Karthik are far better than him, Parthiv can still make a comeback if he performs well enough. That's why I don't believe it's such a high-risk gamble to try out a young player if you're ready to treat players fairly and based on current performance rather than solely on past failures. If they're ready, they'll contribute and you'll have another young gem in the side; if they're not, they'll go back to domestic cricket and work their way back so that they can earn their place after maturing and developing. Now tell me how giving Piyush Chawla a test did any damage. It was clear that he wasn't ready for test cricket and now he's back in the A team getting valuable experience. It hasn't hurt Chawla and it hasn't hurt Indian cricket.

Sure it did. He took up a place in the test side that could have been better used by someoone else who could have contributed more, and who has more potential to become a regular immediatly. Test matches are NOT where you should be doing these kinds of things. Domestic cricket is supposed to do that, and if its not doing that, then you need to fix domestic competition instead of ignoring it. What's the point of having a structure if you are just going to go and pick the favor of the month that people fancy?

Why VRV and not AA? Some would say that VRV is 22 and AA is 28, but you can't really call that "old". The selectors and the scouts have seen VRV more than any of us at the domestic level, and there have been signs that this guy is talented (Challenger, Duleep/Deodhar, Eurasia) so you can't just call it a "guess". Besides, this guy is supposed to have been riddled by injuries lately, so we don't even know if we've seen his best. I'm not saying VRV will be a beast or a bust, but the selectors wouldn't invest so much in a 22-year-old if they hadn't seen something special in him. Let's wait and see.

By the way, how much domestic/A-tour cricket have you watched or followed silentstriker?

Unfortunatly, I live in the US so I can't watch that many. But I try to follow it when I can. Eight games. I don't care how much cricket they watch, you cannot accuratly judge the readiness and ability of a player after eight FC matches.

The fact that you brought up his injury history furthur proves my point: We've NEVER seen him at his best (what little we've seen him at all), and its absurd to include him in the test side. This is not a U-13 team where you can take wild chances with people. People need to earn their way into the test team.

Two years...it should be a mandatory requirement for selection into the test side.

How many sixteen year olds get picked to play in the Australian test side? How many Australian players are picked when they have played no FC matches? How many have played less than ten matches?

Why do you think that is?

 

[adharcric]

Sure it did. He took up a place in the test side that could have been better used by someoone else who could have contributed more, and who has more potential to become a regular immediatly. Test matches are NOT where you should be doing these kinds of things. Domestic cricket is supposed to do that, and if its not doing that, then you need to fix domestic competition instead of ignoring it. What's the point of having a structure if you are just going to go and pick the favor of the month that people fancy?

Unfortunatly, I live in the US so I can't watch that many. But I try to follow it when I can. Eight games. I don't care how much cricket they watch, you cannot accuratly judge the readiness and ability of a player after eight FC matches.

The fact that you brought up his injury history furthur proves my point: We've NEVER seen him at his best (what little we've seen him at all), and its absurd to include him in the test side. This is not a U-13 team where you can take wild chances with people. People need to earn their way into the test team.

Two years...it should be a mandatory requirement for selection into the test side.

How many sixteen year olds get picked to play in the Australian test side? How many Australian players are picked when they have played no FC matches? How many have played less than ten matches?

Why do you think that is?

It's easy to say in retrospect that Chawla wasn't ready to make an impact right away. There was a chance that he could've made that impact, in which case you wouldn't be saying all this about trying players too early. Even with proven domestic performers who are 28 years old, there is uncertainty about how they will do on the big stage, but less so than there is with a youngster. Still, there are certain players that you feel are so talented and precocious that you might as well take a chance with them at the big stage; if they succeed, it's a Tendulkar case and if they don't, you don't need to trash them but simply send them back to domestic cricket to take the "normal" "Australian" route. As for VRV's injury, that made it difficult for you and I to watch him because we only watch international cricket and his injury was recent. It didn't make it difficult for those who watched him in domestic cricket.

It's not like we're trying out every teenager who has any sort of potential in the national team; that would be plain stupid. We try out the rare few who might be beyond their years and ready for the big stage. The problem doesn't lie in picking these gems on the rare occasion, it lies in the way you treat them if they don't succeed at the first chance. Now, you live in the US like me so I'll move this to the NBA's problem of age restrictions. What is your opinion on that? Ban high school entries like LeBron and Kobe? There are two extremes; one involves sticking to a system where you impose "experience" restrictions on everyone and the other is a "free-for-all", instinct-based system where you try to find the precocious talent. Perhaps a balance is what is required.

 

[viktor]

The issue with not picking AA this is that on this tour he is the only seamer to have clicked at all. Sreesanth looked decent but not threatening. Pathan is having a bad series and Munaf has looked completely listless. In this scenario, if they go with VRV and he doesn't click, for whatever reason, we are left with a totally ineffective new ball attack. With AA, atleast he is bowling well so far so we know that he might be atleast able to keep things tight.

If the other new ball bowlers had been bowling well then AA's non-inclusion would not have mattered as much.

 

[alternative]

The issue with not picking AA this is that on this tour he is the only seamer to have clicked at all. Sreesanth looked decent but not threatening. Pathan is having a bad series and Munaf has looked completely listless. In this scenario, if they go with VRV and he doesn't click, for whatever reason, we are left with a totally ineffective new ball attack. With AA, atleast he is bowling well so far so we know that he might be atleast able to keep things tight.

If the other new ball bowlers had been bowling well then AA's non-inclusion would not have mattered as much.

I agree.. they should have stuck with AA especially coz he has struck gold in the last 3 ODI games, INDIAN cricket (BCCI) make yet another stupid decision to drop him ahead of the inexperienced VRV..

VRV should have been tried with the INDIA A and played the aussie series..

 

[pug]

There was some talk of VRV being selected after pressure from the north zone selector. All these freaking politics has such an adverse effect on Indian cricket!

Somehow I really pity Agarkar now. When he's in the side, so many fans question the sanity behind his selection. And when he does deserve to get a place, the selectors decide not to take him.