Selectors' focus remains on youth

In picking the 20 probables for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Colombo next month, the selectors have underlined two things. One, they believe that the present squad which won the NatWest series in England last month is indeed the nucleus of what could be the team for the World Cup. Secondly, in selecting more young prospects and turning their back on Javagal Srinath, they have shown that their focus remains clearly on youth.

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There is little doubt that while the experienced stars had their role to play in the NatWest triumph, the final victory was largely shaped by youngsters in the person of Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh. And with the country possessing many talented youth thanks to exposure through the India A and India Under-19 ranks, it is time to look ahead. Turning back to Srinath, who made it clear that he was only retiring from Test cricket and was available for one-day matches, would in the circumstances have been a retrograde step.

The Mysore Express has been a gallant performer for over a decade, the best part of which period he spent as the spearhead of the Indian attack. But he has been injury prone despite taking rest by missing out on one-day competitions and is not getting any younger. The series in the West Indies provided definitive proof that the speedster, who will turn 33 this month, was over the hill and this means that it unlikely that the selectors, given the events of the last couple of months, will turn to him again. One of the selectors in fact has been quoted as saying categorically that Srinath does not fit into the scheme of things.

In the meantime, thanks to projects like the MRF Pace Foundation, and through it the exposure at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide, the young fast bowling hopefuls continue to grow and the latest in the line is Lakshmipathi Balaji. The Chennai Express has impressed with his speed, line, length, variety and control. The tall lad has come up through the India A ranks and recently toured South Africa with the side. At the moment, he seems to be a fairly exciting prospect and the selectors have done well in giving him the right breaks at the right time.

His is an example of talent and potential scoring a point over statistics for his career figures are pretty modest 49 wickets at an average of 27.26 in first class games and 22 wickets at 25.22 apiece in domestic one-day cricket. Even if he does not make the final cut, Balaji will be encouraged by the fact that the selectors have him in their books and that will be incentive enough for him to keep doing his best. The young man, who turns 21 next month, is a genuine trier and in addition to his talent, he has a good physique, fierce determination and the ideal temperament for a budding fast bowler.

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It is also good to see Murali Kartik among the probables. Besides being gifted, he is in form, and is a very competitive cricketer who can be groomed into a good utility player, particularly in the limited overs version. First and foremost though, he is a left-arm spinner and his inclusion will help keep Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh on their toes. No one should be able to take his position for granted and the fact that the Railways all-rounder is close to selection can only serve to spur Kumble and Harbhajan to try that much harder.

"The selectors had the 2003 World Cup in mind when choosing the probables. All players on the squad which won the NatWest trophy have been retained," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was quoted to have said while announcing the list.

That's the way it should be with the mega event only some six months away. And there is an added reason for choosing a particularly balanced outfit for the ICC Champions Trophy. After all, India came so close to winning it two years ago at Nairobi before losing to a Chris Cairns-inspired New Zealand. Incidentally, that performance too was largely shaped by fresh young players like Zaheer Khan, Vijay Dahiya and Yuvraj Singh.