Shewag, Aashish Kapoor earn recalls
Big-hitting Delhi batsman Virender Shewag and Tamil Nadu off spinner Aashish Kapoor have been named to the Indian team for the final two games of the one-day series against Zimbabwe
Sankhya Krishnan
08-Dec-2000
Big-hitting Delhi batsman Virender Shewag and
Tamil Nadu off spinner Aashish Kapoor have been
named to the Indian team for the final two games
of the one-day series against Zimbabwe. This was
announced by the BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele in
Jodhpur on Saturday.
Shiv Sunder Das and Nikhil Chopra, neither of whom
was played in the first three matches, are the
players to make way. Das has been diagnosed unfit
by the Board's physiotherapist, with a hamstring
problem, according to Lele. As for Chopra, Lele
said that a directive had come from the BCCI
President not to pick him until he is cleared by
the Board vis-a-vis his role in the match-fixing
imbroglio.
"We did discuss VVS Laxman and Murali Kartik but
after a lot of discussion we preferred Shewag and
Kapoor", said chairman of selectors Chandu Borde
who was also present. Shewag has played a solitary
ODI for India, in the Pepsi Cup against Pakistan
in 1998-99. He played a destructive knock for the
Board President's XI against Zimbabwe in Faridabad
last month, which perhaps pitchforked him into the
limelight. "Shewag is a good striker of the ball,
can also bowl off spinners, and gives 100% as a
fielder. He has been doing well in local cricket",
said Borde.
Kapoor who took 50 wickets in the Ranji Trophy
last season is back in the Indian team after
several years in the wilderness. Borde also said
there was a lot of discussion on Yuvraj Singh's
poor run. "We decided that he is a very talented
cricketer and if we drop him now, it may do his
confidence some damage". When asked whether Robin
Singh's name had come up for discussion, Borde,
choosing his words carefully, replied "Not just
now."