NEW DELHI, 23 APRIL 2011:
Selectors along with BCCI board members will meet tomorrow morning in Mumbai to finalise the selection of India’s new team for World Cup 2011. There is no clue about the team because board members have been unusually tight-lipped about their choices. But the team’s coach, Sharad Pawar, did tell the media that many surprises are in store. He said the team would be very balanced. OBCs, Dalits, all four regions—northern, southern, western and eastern—and the minorities are expected to be well represented. Mr Pawar has been working on the team selection since 2009 when he took over as coach. He had declared then that he had learnt a great deal about cricket as BCCI president and felt he would be more useful as coach.
Laloo Prasad Yadav was the logical choice to succeed Mr Pawar as BCCI president. After making Indian Railways prosperous, Mr Yadav did not disappoint. Already, the BCCI coffers have touched the US $10 billion mark. The organisers of ATP, NBA and other US sports bodies have invited Mr Yadav to the US to lecture them on how to augment funds.
There are unconfirmed reports that Mr Pawar has succeeded in getting some top foreign players to defect to the Indian team. These rumours were sparked by the presence in Mumbai yesterday of three senior players of the Afghanistan cricket team. Ever since Afghanistan defeated India 5-0 in their ODI series of 2010, Mr Pawar has been eyeing the Afghanistan team.
If these reports prove true, India will have a strong chance of qualifying for entry into the World Cup 2011 in which over 100 nations will participate. It will be a feather in India’s cap if our team succeeds in going through the qualifying round to actually participate in the World Cup. Apart from Afghanistan, India will face teams from Congo and Finland in the qualifying round. Bookies have placed odds of 5-11 on India getting through the qualifying round. Only Afghanistan has been given better odds. But if Mr Pawar succeeds in getting top Afghan players to defect, India will emerge as clear favourite.
Meanwhile, in Parliament yesterday the cabinet minister for law and cricket, Arun Jaitley, successfully piloted the new bill that would allow foreigners to join the Indian cricket team without becoming Indian citizens. The members thumped desks and passed the bill.
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)
