Chairman of selectors M.S.K. Prasad is usually a very soft spoken and articulate person. When he addresses media briefings, he responds with patience, and never doges. However, both the team selection by the three member committee he chairs and the explanations given post India’s Champions Trophy performance has confounded all.
The team selected for Sri Lanka has four opening options; the team for the ODI series preceding it in West Indies had four wicket keeper-batsmen options.
The omissions of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, and the lack of clarity on the role of Ajinkye Rahane as as well as future of M.S. Dhoni lead one to ask the question: Exactly where do these players figure in the Indian team management's plans?
The response maybe that it's to soon to say, but what about the haphazard manner in which players are getting called, and more importantly, is it for one series or longer?
A day after the team in Sri Lanka was announced by Prasad, the former India stumper explained that Yuvraj, Ashwin and Jadeja were rested. He later termed their omissions as 'rotated'. While in Yuvraj’s case ‘rested’ appears unconvincing, in Ashwin and Jadeja’s case, rotation is incorrect.
Prasad himself admitted while speaking to the Indian media on Monday that selectors were not aware of Ashwin, and Jadeja is possibly heading for a county stint in England.
“To tell you the truth, it was resting first and then only... (them playing county cricket). Of course whatever little we know that they have been contacting our players but from a selection point of view we never knew they have been contacting, and the moment these people are rested with board consent they have given confirmation to the counties”
The explanation is simply unconvincing because the players require a No Objection Certificate from the BCCI to play in any competitions. It's unlikely that the BCCI would not have kept the selectors in know ahead of the meeting.
It gets even more worse from here onwards. Continuing with the resting- rotating explanation, Prasad described the resting/county offers as a blessing in disguise. “We can say it is a blessing in disguise if Test players like Pujara and Ashwin [play in England]. Ashwin is a part of other formats, too, but it is a blessing in disguise for both of them because we will have a full fledged tour of five Tests in England in June next year. So it's always good to play and get that first hand feel of the conditions which is going to happen in the summer after that.”
The lack of clarity regarding Ashwin is just one aspect. There’s the matter of Yuvraj Singh’s absence from the squad. In selectors’ own view Yuvraj’s performance in Champions Trophy where he scored a 32 ball 53 against Pakistan was followed by six innings of low scores. If the selectors were calling time on 35-year-old Team india veteran, what about fellow veteran M.S. Dhoni? Asked how likely was Dhoni to play the 2019 World Cup, Prasad said, “We are all stakeholders. We all want the Indian team to do well. If he is delivering, why not? If he is not, we will have to look at alternatives…We will see, we will see. The legend that he is, we don't want to make it… but yes we have a plan."
According to sources in the selection committee, 2019 is still a long way off. “Right now it's about taking it series by series, the World Cup is still far. The idea is to look at options and this rotations.”
Then there is the curious case of Ajinkye Rahane. Vice captain in Test cricket, also officiated as stand-in captain finds himself being shunted up and down, in and out. He found no place in India’s scheme of things in Champions Trophy. He was man of series in the following series in West Indies. He is used as a stand-bye opener by skipper Virat Kohli. But with four opening options in Sri Lanka, he’s unlikely to be given a run at the top. His chances of middle order slot have also shrunk with Manish Pandey, Kedar Jhadav and M.S. Dhoni finding places there along with all rounder Hardik Pandya. According to a selector, “As of now, Rahane’s role is that of a stand-bye opener.” The future in that respect doesn’t look great for the Mumbai batsman.
Here comes the question on whether selectors have discussed their plans with players. The answer is no. They have held discussions with team management—coach Ravi shastri and skipper Virat Kohli—and expect them to convey the right message to individual players. How the duo are handling this or will handle this issue, remains to be seen.
