Extraordinary team changes must be explained

gocricket.com's G Rajaraman writes that in the current atmosphere clouded with spot-fixing allegations, the least the IPL teams can do is explain the logic behind extraordinary team selections properly. A case in point is Rajasthan Royals

After last season when Delhi Police charged some of their players with colluding with illegal bookmakers and co-owner Raj Kundra with placing illegal bets, it was only fair to expect RR team management to take extreme care in not providing any grist to the grapevine. Sadly, that was not to be.

Yet, cricket fans and critics alike are not any wiser about the team's decision to leave out performers like opener Ajinkya Rahane, middle-order bulwark Steve Smith - who had led the team in their previous game when Shane Watson sat out with a niggle - and leg-spinner Pravin Tambe on Monday.