Parthiv left out, fans cry foul

Gujarat is in the middle of state elections where controversial chief minister Narendra Modi's party is contesting the Congress party, but today there was an uproar of a different kind. India's squad for the tour of Australia doesn't have the name of Parthiv Patel in it, and fans of the in-form wicketkeeper-batsman don't like it one bit.

"Gujarat's cricketers are being treated like untouchables. He is in great form and performing so well in domestic cricket. But, no matter what he does, nationally he's ignored," says a fuming convenor of Parthiv Fan Club, Devang Bhatt.

"Selections are a sham. If performance in domestic cricket is a criterion, Virender Sehwag wouldn't have made the mark. He has nothing to show even in Ranji this year. Parthiv, by that standard would have been easily in," says a dejected Vijay Patel, Parthiv's Ranji Trophy coach.

Read the full article in the Times of India here.

In the Hindustan Times, Rajasthan fast bowler Pankaj Singh, rewarded for some impressive domestic and India A performances with a ticket to Australia, says he almost gave up cricket when he was not selected for Oudh University after good performances for his college.

Young Pankaj, who called his first national call-up "a blessing from God and from my mamma," told the Indian Express that advice from Javagal Srinath during his stint at the MRF Pace Academy in 2002-03 helped him on his cricketing journey.

Over in Mid-Day, Sanjjeev Samyal caught up with Yousuf Sale Mohammad Motorwala, the man who convinced Anil Kumble, all those years ago, to give up medium-pace for legspin.