Azhar, Kambli in touring party for Singer, Sahara Cup (11 Aug 1996)

11 August 1996

Azhar, Kambli in touring party for Singer, Sahara Cup

Our correspondent

Sacked Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin was retained in the Indian team, Vinod Kambli got a recall and Karnataka medium pacer David Johnson was inducted for the one-day series in Sri Lanka and Canada.

Chairman of the selection committee Gundappa R Vishwanath told reporters that Sunil Joshi -- who had to return from England due to injury -- Vinod Kambli, dropped from the team for the England tour on disciplinary grounds, offspinner Ashis Kapoor were recalled to the side.

Middle order batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, medium pacers Paras Mhambrey, and Salil Ankola and legspinner Venkatapathy Raju were dropped from the team.

Vishwanath said Kambli was recalled to the team because he had assured the cricket board that he would behave himself in future.

A conditioning camp will be held in Madras from August 13 to August 21, under Anshuman Gaekwad`s auspices.

Ajay Jadeja, Vishwanath said, was recalled in place of Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was served a show cause notice asking him to reply within seven days. Sidhu, who left the England tour abruptly, has yet to reply to the notice.

Speaking to a Bombay newspaper before he flew to Calcutta on Saturday morning, Tendulkar said, `I won`t consider my friendship with the team members while making the selections. If they back me, I`ll try my level best.`

Tendulkar revealed that Azharuddin was the first to call and congratulate him on becoming the Indian skipper. `I was very, very touched. Azhar deserves a place in the side and he`s still one of the greatest players in the world.`

He had similar views on his school buddy, Kambli. `He is such a talented player, even if he tries, he cannot stay out of the team for long.`

Kambli told Rediff On The NeT, in a telephone conversation from his home in Pune, "I am very happy to be back." He, however, refused to discuss the reasons why he had been dropped from the Indian team to tour England. "Please don`t ask me any controversial questions," he said, adding, "under Sachin`s captaincy, I will give my best."

Dilip Vengsarkar, the former skipper widely tipped to be the next chairman of the Indian selectors, felt it was "a well balanced team."

"We have a good bowling side," he said, "I have not seen David Johnson bowl, but I hear he bowls well and has done well for Karnataka." Vengsarkar felt "Azhar is a good player and I hope he will do well with a lesser burden."

The team`s itinerary is as follows:

SINGER CUP

August 24: Sri Lanka vs the rest of the world

August 26: Australia vs Zimbabwe

August 28: India vs Sri Lanka

August 30: Australia vs Sri Lanka

September 1: India vs Zimbabwe

September 3: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe

September 5: India vs Australia

September 7: Final

for the Canada tour:

September 14, 15, 18, 21, 22. All the matches between India and Pakistan would be held in Toronto.

The Team:

Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Anil Kumble (vice-captain), Vikram Rathore, Ajay Jadeja, Saurav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Vinod Kambli, Rahul Dravid, Nayan Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, David Johnson, Sunil Joshi and Ashis Kapoor.

Source :: Rediff On The NeT (https://www.rediff.co.in)