Mohammed Kaif's makes a deserved return to the Indian cricket team on the back of excellent performances in the domestic tournaments.
However, he is unlikely to make it to the final eleven. Yuvraj despite repeated failures in Tests in all probability will play in the place of Tendulkar.
It is an enigma that players like Kaif or Murali Karthick have never given a sustained run in the Indian team. They are either selected and do not play or they are dropped after putting in an excellent performance.
Therefore, the rationale behind his selection when he has no chance of playing is debatable. Would not it be better to select some promising player who has never had the opportunity to soak in the Test atmosphere?
17 comments:
If there's an injury just before play starts, you want the next-best replacement ready to play.
It's similar to how Nathan Hauritz got a Test. He was chosen ahead of MacGill because the experience of being around the team would do him good. Then Warne got injured, and suddenly he was nominally our #1 spinner. Hopefully our selectors won't make that sort of mistake again.
He may not play Otts... but it was good to get him in... at least that will keep him going and work harder until the the older cows finally retire and he stakes a claim in the test team.
sense he might play, and even bat @4. Everyone needs a free lunch, batting in India, and Yuvraj has had his vs. Pakistan.
its was nice and pleasant reminder to him that he is still wanted...
its fills one's esteem no end when one nows that all his deeds are not forgotten and is still in frame for scheme of things...
i have a feeling that fate is turning and luck is smiling on him...
It would have been better to have Gambhir in. But then strange things have happened in Indian cricket.
As for all those who speak that Kaif scored heavily in domestic cricket. Everyone knows the kind of pitches we have. Think even i can score a few.
He should play ahead of Yuvraj although that wont happen.
Either way I agree with SB - its a good booster for Kaif. He along with Yuvraj is India's middle order future after the big 4 start moving on...
David,
Kaif had done enough of soaking up the atmosphere.
Shouldn't another player readied for the eventuality you mentioned.
Scorpi,Pan,Philip,
I agree.
NC,
With you on the free lunch part.
BTW are you Irish? Hope your intuition come true.:)
Q,
My contention is there is no need for Kaif to be recalled if they don't plan to play him. (This is a home series and he can be drafted at short notice)
As David suggests a newcomer can be readied.
poor kaif finaly got chance...problem is there is only 11 can play in the team...we need 15 player team...:). current team it looks impossible to get a chance in playing XI
i suspect he is being groomed for captaincy after kumble. kaif himself would have been surprised by his recall. venky has a thing abt yuvaraj . may be he wants to put yuvi on guard. kaif is more disciplined and not prone to deepikaying or padukoning.
Ott - I think there is a need to have Kaif in the 15 even if he doesn't play because it gives him the message that he is the next in line for a place in the XI. It gives a lot of confidence to the player.
After all his hard work on the domestic scene Kaif deserves to know what the selectors are thinking.
SB has suggested that he might even play ahead of Yuvraj and that might not be a high probability.
Ravindran - thats a bit too early to say but from his U19 days he has been considered as a future captain. Had he been in the team all this while he might have been the ideal candidate but at this moment I believe Dhoni is set to have the top post for a long time ahead.
Q,
There is merit in your argument.
I am in a nasty mood so my counter is if he needs reassurance he can always get it from his wife.gf or even his mother. :)
...and to say that Kaif was dropped after making a Hundred in the windies!
I think the regional quotas have mulcted his career.
Will prove to be an indicator of how Kumble thinks about cricket. The beauty is, if Yuvraj plays and succeeds in India, it keeps more players out even though Yuvraj may end up inadequate all over the world.
Post a Comment