Everything that is wrong with the Indian team selection for Bangladesh and England

Stuart Binny for England tour over the highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy? That’s just the top of the iceberg

Pundits dissecting the Indian cricket team selection would never be found wanting in our country. Much as the fans have questions, the BCCI is famous for never making any efforts to answer them. Considering the huge stake the fans have in the economic health of the sport, the Indian cricket board operates in one of the most autocratic manners possible. While they stick to their usual policy of gagging the selection-panel, debate carries on regarding the ills and merits of the team recently selected to make two important tours.

At a time when the Indian team comes off overseas snubbing in South Africa and New Zealand, the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh and the 5-match Test tour of England are of paramount importance. With the 2015 World Cup just 8 months away and key players rested, the Bangladesh series would be a key tournament to check the bench strength and a plan B. Also, with the 4-0 twin “brownwash” in England and Australia still fresh in their minds, the importance of the Gen-Next’s visit to the English shores can hardly be reiterated.

Did the selectors miss a trick by failing to try out Gautam Gambhir as the alternate captain in ODIs? The diminutive Delhi-opener has after all established his leadership credentials in the IPL – by guiding the Kolkata Knight Riders to 2 trophies in 3 years. However, the selectors continue to put their faith on the younger Raina by giving him the captaincy, in the absence of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Although he has been recalled in the Test squad, the selectors have given the message that Gambhir is not on their radar for the World Cup. With MS Dhoni’s captaincy sometimes assessed as conservative in foreign conditions, one does get the feel that Gambhir’s aggressive leadership would have been a refreshing alternative abroad (where the World Cup is going to be held).

Robin Uthappa and Mohit Sharma have been rewarded for their strong performances in the IPL and domestic circuit. Although it provides an opening for Uthappa to stage a concrete comeback to the national side, the 3 games on the mellow Bangladesh tracks may not be the ideal gauge for either Sharma or Umesh Yadav. Meanwhile, once again the axe falls on Yuvraj Singh – a player responsible for their current defending World Champions tag – making one wonder whether the call is premature.

Greater mysteries await in the Test squad. If one recalls the South Africa tour, the team relinquished a position of strength acquired by the likes of Pujara and Virat Kohli, because of poor performances by the bowlers (they had failed to take 10 wickets defending a target of 458 over 4 sessions!). Also remembering the nightmares of the previous England tour, the selectors identified the importance of picking the best possible group of pacers in an extra-large squad of 18. And this is where the selection of Varun Aaron over Umesh Yadav becomes inexplicable!

The Nagpur lad edges out the Jharkhand wild-horse Aaron in terms of fitness, as well as skill and experience. Under Wasim Akram and Morne Morkel’s guidance, he now exhibits ripe control apart from his usual ability to swing the ball both ways. In fact, given the natural bounce he generates along with the pace, it is hard to think how he misses out from being amongst the top six pacers in the country going to England!

Aaron on the other hand has only brute pace to back his cause, and in the ultimate challenge of Tests on foreign soil, he’s unlikely to get much game time. Dhoni’s past record of carrying passengers in the squad is not a feeble affair! Therefore if one smells appeasement politics here, surely, he will be forgiven.

The other surprising selection has been that of selector Roger Binny’s son Stuart, as the all-rounder in the squad. This has been done at the expense of Himachal all-rounder Rishi Dhawan – the highest wicket-taker in last season’s Ranji Trophy. The tall and muscular young cricketer has also demonstrated his batting skills in the just concluded IPL – filling in as a useful lower-order bat in George Bailey’s Punjab outfit. Therefore the selection of Stuart Binny who’s not figured in the top ten list of bowlers or batsmen in the last Ranji season has prompted many to level charges of favoritism on dad Roger.

It is here that BCCI’s policy of not communicating with the media can be placed under scrutiny. Although in actuality, Binny senior had excused himself from the meeting when his son’s name was proposed for consideration by the panel – the majority of Indian fans labour under the misguided notion of dad’s partiality for son. (Give this a read). Where a single line explaining the situation would’ve sufficed, both the selection panel and player stand as objects of public ire, all because of BCCI’s strange ways!

Finally, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been selected as the sole guardians of the spin department. Although England is not famous for spin, one would like to know why the more naturally attacking option of in-form leg-spinners (Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra, Karan Sharma to name a few) were looked over. In a country famous for its spinners, has the department become so impoverished suddenly that we have to rely on two finger spinners to deliver us over 5 Test matches? If one goes by Ashwin’s record overseas there is not much heart to gain either.

After repeated poor performances, this generation of players really need to step up and announce their arrival in foreign conditions. Will the teams selected for the 2 important tours be able to deliver? While debates will range eternally over selection-choices, only time will tell if the squad selected by the 5 wise men delivers over the next few months.