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World Cup selection postponed

Faisal Shariff in Bombay

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has postponed the selection committee meeting to prune the first list of probables for the 1999 World Cup.

The meeting was to have taken place in Bombay on Saturday, February 27. It is now likely to take place on Wednesday, March 3.

March 1 is the deadline set for all countries to announce their lists of 19 probables for the World Cup. India will now miss the deadline.

BCCI executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar told Rediff On The NeT that the date was postponed because the selectors want to consult captain Mohammad Azharuddin and coach Anshuman Gaekwad as well.

They also feel the fitness tests of bowler Ajit Agarkar and batsman Vinod Kambli should be conducted in the presence of team doctors Ravindra Chadha and physiotherapist Andrew Kokinos.

Kambli was injured in the Cuttack match last April against Zimbabwe, when he twisted his ankle while substituting for skipper Azharuddin and damaged some ligaments. His foot was in a cast for almost three months.

According to his team mates, this was the period when he should have watched his weight, but Kambli being Kambli didn't pay much heed, delaying the healing process. Though he has since returned to the Bombay side and played some useful knocks, he looked in considerable trouble while fielding and running between the wickets.

Bombay's coach Ashok Mankad echoed this.

Orthopaedic surgeon Suresh Shetty, who along with Dr Ali Irani treated Kambli, has declared him fit. But is he fit enough to play at the highest level?

A discreet reply from Dr Shetty is food for thought. Dr Shetty said Kambli shows a good range of movements, but whether he is good enough to play at the highest level, only the team physio can decide.

Agarkar, on the other hand, has been declared fit by Dr Anant Joshi who, interestingly, has been appointed by the BCCI to test the fitness of the two players.

The 20-year-old wiry speedster has been attending nets since January 15. He has informed the board that he will available for matches in two weeks.

The fitness tests of the two Bombay boys will also be held on March 3.

Bombay Cricket Association honorary secretary Prof Ratnakar Shetty said the list of 30 probables announced earlier will be pruned to 19 on the basis of performances in the Deodhar Trophy, Wills Trophy, and Ranji Trophy Super League.

He said he does not see any surprises in the pruned list with the exception of opener Sadagopan Ramesh, who has grabbed attention with his consistent performances, and Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who has been spoken of highly by Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

The Cricket World Cup Special