-------------------------- Indian World Cup squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (vice captain), Saurav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik (both wicket-keepers), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Santhakumar Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar.
World cup is not the time or place to try out new players…so I reluctantly agree to the recall of Sehwag.
Agarkar, what can I say. The guy’s luck never runs out.
Uthappa should not be there. I would have preferred Laxman instead. What’s the point in having him when we already have 4 potential openers : Sehwag, Tendu, Gangu & Kartik.
Kaif/Raina would be missed on the field.
Again, its unfortunate that the team should have 2 full-time Wicket-keepers for lack of alternative batting talent.
Indian World Cup squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (vice captain), Saurav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik (both wicket-keepers), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Santhakumar Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar.
World cup is not the time or place to try out new players...so I reluctantly agree to the recall of Sehwag.
Agarkar, what can I say. The guy's luck never runs out.
Uthappa should not be there. I would have preferred Laxman instead. What's the point in having him when we already have 4 potential openers : Sehwag, Tendu, Gangu & Kartik.
Kaif/Raina would be missed on the field.
Again, its unfortunate that the team should have 2 full-time Wicket-keepers for lack of alternative batting talent.
I knowyou can very opinionated( I hope I got the spelling right) at times . But if you really look at Agarkar's performance in last 1 year, he has been actually the best seamer in ODIs during that period. It may come to you as surprise but that is a fact. I dont know if it says whether he has improved or others are more pathetic. But fact is that he has done better than many other and on this ground he should be in team. Think of him just as bowler and you will be fine.
On Uthappa I am on fence. Points can me made both ways.
Kaif/Raina... How many more chances can we give to them. I agree that their fielding will be missed but cant keep thim in team just for fielding capabilities. They need to do somethign with bat too. Kaif has played International cricket for almost 7-8 years now. During this time Snagakara , Hussey and Malik became very dependable players of their respective teams and Kais is still struggling for his place. I wish we have invested more time on some one else.
Agreed about 2 full time keeper point. I hope it doesnt come to situation where we have to play both. It is really sorry state of affairs that we dont have any new guys coming up in middle order. May be they need to give chance to Badrinath after the worldcup.
One other guy, I think should not have been in worldcup team is Srisanth. He just made it to the team based on his performance in last ODI. His economy rate in ODI is pathetic. He gets whacked all over the place. I hope Munaf,Zaheer and Agarkar are fit and Srisanth doesnt get to play any ODI.
I think if all of them are fit.. Following will be the team composition
Uthappa/Sehwag ( Based on peroformace after practice games)
Ganguly
Dravid
Sachin
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Pathan
Kumble/Agarkar ==> Based on pich condition and opposition
Zaheer
Munaf
Harbhajan
Please dont judge seamers on performances on Indian belters..
Sreesanth is a good bowler and certainly better than Pathan...Pathan has lost it
I dont have any confidence on the current batting line up...Bowling to kabhi nahi tha - hence world cup chances - zilch :(
thats what my mind says...
Dravid is not performing
Sachin - not a potent force any more
Sehwag -> do I need to say anything about him? Raina should have been there in place of him...Raina is at least a stabiliser
Yuvraj -> A shade better than the usual suspects
Ganguly - Has he overcome his weakness with short deliveries?
I did not say that Kaif/Raina should be in the team. All I said is that their fielding skills would be missed. Kaif usually saves a lot of runs on the field. But I do agree he has been given enough chances with the bat.
I have seen Uthappa bat and unfortunately I don't have a very high opinion about his batting abilities.
My problem with Agarkar is the following :
He bowls at least one FOUR/SIX delivery in every single over. But I do agree that relatively speaking he tends to take more wickets in ODI than other Indian pacers.
I guess Indians will have to depend on their batting lineup to win the game for them than their bowling lineup. I doubt that medium pacers like Agarkar, Irfan, Razzaq, Rana will be able to do much in WI. It will be either spinners or fast bowlers.
Agreed about 2 full time keeper point. I hope it doesnt come to situation where we have to play both. It is really sorry state of affairs that we dont have any new guys coming up in middle order. May be they need to give chance to Badrinath after the worldcup.
One other guy, I think should not have been in worldcup team is Srisanth. He just made it to the team based on his performance in last ODI. His economy rate in ODI is pathetic. He gets whacked all over the place. I hope Munaf,Zaheer and Agarkar are fit and Srisanth doesnt get to play any ODI.
I think if all of them are fit.. Following will be the team composition
Uthappa/Sehwag ( Based on peroformace after practice games)
Ganguly
Dravid
Sachin
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Pathan
Kumble/Agarkar ==> Based on pich condition and opposition
Zaheer
Munaf
Harbhajan
I thought we need one of the two spinners kumble or bhaji and not both for the world cup. It is not like they are going to run down the opposition with spin. Powar could have been a better option. He didnt do much but with whatever we saw him but i just believe that he could be more handy in onedayers than persisting with kumble and bhaji.
I dont mind taking sreesanth in the team. (Only keralite:D). But I think his tempermant is a real give away. He is too tensed and in close matches and with big teams I think he will be really costly for India. He is good in test but for onedayers he need to learn a lot. I think zaheer and agarkar should bowl. I wholheartedly support f&b that agarkar has really improved in the last year. uthappa is ok to be an opener. I dont think the wickets are going to seam so much. laxman was given a lot of chances, and his running between the wickets is still horrible. :)
Just think, in the last world cup we went in with dravid as keeper. :D. See, we did improve. poor dravid he just made it doubly sure that he didnt have to be a wicket keeper this time around.
Do no mean to be rude, but does the URL on this website reads www.Indialinks.com to you???
Just kiddin’
Feel free to yap all about the boys in blue. They are my tenth most favorite team after Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and England.
I am surprised to note the exclusion of Powar from this squad. I thought he had finally made his mark in the team, no? Not as a specialist batsman of course, but with his wicket-taking performances in the recent past.
Then again, average of ~38 and economy of over 5 an over in West Indies counters the above point.
Sreesanth is a good bowler and certainly better than Pathan...Pathan has lost it
Sure you can judge if all of them bowling on same wicket and other's are doing better than him. Pathan is not there just because of his bowling. He is there as an allrounder. So technically Sreesanth and Pathan are not competing for a slot. And why do you think that Wickets in WI will be any different.
My problem with Agarkar is the following :
He bowls at least one FOUR/SIX delivery in every single over. But I do agree that relatively speaking he tends to take more wickets in ODI than other Indian pacers.
Well recent time he has improved and has been more economical
Agarkar and Sami are cross border twins. Their fate is tied together. As long as one remains, the other one does too :D Theyre like that piece of cashew nut stuck in your cavities that no matter how much tongue play you do with em just refuse to come out.
Laxman should have been picked really. Karthik should definitely; he looks like a solid batsman who can tackle pressure situations unlike has-been Tendulkar. Sehwag is an easy wicket, so thank-you to Indian selectors :D .
New Zealand squad: Stephen Fleming (captain), Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Michael Mason, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Lou Vincent.
Darryl Tuffey is back after two years. They kinda sucked in recent traingular trophy and lost too aussies in three matches after putting themselves in a real winning position. Still are a very dangerous side.
I think sehwag and Pathan are two key players, out of form and of no use. Pathan just cannt bowl now days. Batting order having serious disorder problem, zaheer and kumble/bhajan only hopes in bowling. Dhoni can be a factor. But all the teams are having some problems , so there is some hope.
