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Sachin Tendulkar, India's new skipper

Ivan Crasto in Nagpur

The wait is finally over. Sachin Tendulkar will replace Mohammad Azharuddin as captain of the Indian cricket team.

In the words of Ajit Wadekar, chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's selection committee, "It took only two minutes for us to decide on Sachin. It was a unanimous decision."

Jaywant Lele, the BCCI's honorary secretary, announced the decision to the media. "The selectors have unanimously selected Sachin Tendulkar to lead the Indian team for the tournaments till New Zealand comes over... till September," he said. Tendulkar will lead India in the triangular series in Sri Lanka also involving world champions Australia and Sanath Jayasuriya's side.

The selection committee's tenure ends in September, Lele said, hence the decision to retain Sachin as captain only till that month.

It may have taken the selectors only two minutes to decide on Sachin, but it took them a little over an hour and three quarters to make known their decision to the media which had gathered outside the conference hall of the Vidarbha Cricket Association, where the meeting was held.

Wadekar had hinted that it would be a quick decision when he said, "Should be quick; let's see," while walking up the stairs to the VCA office.

So, then why did it take so long?

Both Wadekar and Lele informed the media that the delay was because the committee informally discussed coach Anshuman Gaekwad's report on the team's World Cup performance. "We were all with one voice on Tendulkar. No other name was discussed or even thought of," said Wadekar, as Lele nodded his head in approval.

"We took time because we informally discussed coach Gaekwad's report on the World Cup," Lele said, adding that the report had not influenced the committee's decision.

When asked to divulge the details of the report, he said: "It is not for publication. That will be known later. This meeting was to select the captain."

Wadekar said Tendulkar was selected because "he is the best man for the job". "He is the best player in the team, and he will hang around there for a long time. What we are looking at is the future. Besides, he gets along well with all his colleagues," he said. The former Indian skipper said BCCI chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur had ratified the decision.

When it was pointed out that Tendulkar had said he would not want to lead the team if Azharuddin is in the side, Wadekar said: "He has not gone on record or told us anything like that. At least I have not heard that. That's not right."

Asked if Sachin would do a better job than his earlier stint as skipper, Wadekar said, "Sure, he is now more mature and confident and experienced."

Both Lele and Wadekar made it clear that Azharuddin was not sacked. "He is the most successful captain and has done well. What we are looking at is the future and that is why Sachin has been named captain," Wadekar said.

The 36-year-old Azharuddin has led India since 1990, barring a 17-month period from August 1996 to December 1997, when Tendulkar took over the reins.

The rest of the team will be selected on August 6 when the committee meets in Baroda or in Delhi.

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