Even before the Indian team can have its first nets in the West Indies, Virender Sehwag‘s selection for the World Cup team has turned into a controversy. The chairman of the national selection committee, Dilip Vengsarkar, has told Karan Thapar that India’s only triple centurion in Tests would not have made the cut but for captain Rahul Dravid.
The BCCI, for its part, has come down on Vengsarkar. Rajeev Shukla and Ratnakar Shetty have said the chief selector should not have made the comment and that it would have a demoralising effect on the team. Is that so?
Should Sehwag have been dropped merely because he hasn’t scored a century since April 2005 and because he averages a mere 17 something? Has Dravid shown his strength of leadership by backing Sehwag’s experience over his current form? Will Vengsarkar’s comment actually have a positive effect on Sehwag?
Read excerpts of the CNN-IBN interview here: ‘Dravid wanted Sehwag‘
No effect whatso ever on Losers
What is Vengsarkar, never a man of great articulation, trying to prove by revealing this now? That he is a very democratic fellow who let Dravid have his way? Or that this selection committee is better than the previous one? Or that the captain is more powerful than the selection committee?
If Sehwag had been left out, there would have be no justification to pick Sachin Tendulkar either. But by batting for Sehwag despite his lack of discipline, Dravid, the ultimate disciplinarian, has shown a rare streak.
Everybody from Ravi Shastri downwards was accusing him of not being strong enough. That now lies disproved. More importantly, by backing a batsman who is part of the “Ganguly camp”, Dravid has shown that he is able to rise above petty politics. Amen.
There is no doubt he should have been dropped but this is the bane of Indian cricket – some players are more previlaged and if a player scores a 50/100 then he can seal his place no matter even if does not score another 50 in more than one series.
Instead of backing Shewag, Dravid should back the likes of Robin Uthappa.
It is the first time that Dravid has picked courage in both hands
to assert hmself. He has been content to be a gentleman working under the shadow of Chappel. Whether Sehawag cilcks or not it is a gamble worth taking. At least at this stage he is lot better than Tendulkar who should have gracefully exited and called it a day
I think it’s time to drop Vensarkar to drop from the Selection Committee!As a Chairman , he could have asserted his rights with his colleagues, captain, the coach etc and put his foot down. In stead of that he is squealing now! But to be fair to the ‘Col’, it’s never easy to face the bullets from Karan Thapar. Even the irascible Ram Jethnmalani had to flee his own home, when he couldn’t face barrage from Karan!
Now that the team is already in WI waiting for the first match, it’s time to put aside all differences and support the team. And Dravid deserves credit for sticking his neck out for believing in his conviction.It doesn’t even matter whether Sehwag comes out of his prolonged drought of runs.
the great inidan CYA (Cover your **** )begins