26 probables named for preparatory camp

By Our Special Correspondent

VADADORA, APRIL 22. Mumbai wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe is in the list of 26 probables picked by the national selectors for a week long preparatory camp in Bangalore for the 51-day tour of Zimbabwe. He is the only experienced wicketkeeper among the three the five selectors picked here on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy final. The other two are Haryana's Ajay Ratra and Bengal's Deep Dasgupta.

The chairman of selectors Mr. Chandu Borde, as usual was not forthcoming when asked for the reasons for Nayan Mongia and Vijay Dahiya not being included in the list of probables. ``The committee felt that Dighe did a good job in the Chennai Test. It's because of him (his batting) India won the third Test. It's not the end of the road for Mongia and Dahiya. It was the committee's decision not to pick them,'' said Mr. Borde.

The news from the grapevine is that Mongia -- although he is still being regarded as the best -- was not chosen because the selectors did not approve of his ``attitude'' before the third Test against Australia in Chennai. It is understood that Mongia left the decision of his selection to the selectors when they asked him to confirm his fitness and asked him to take a decision. This is not the first time people have taken a dig at his integrity; it has happened before when he was not picked for the tour to Australia in 1999-2000.

While `` it was the committee's decision'' with regard to Mongia, Mr. Borde did not give details about Dahiya's non- inclusion. The selectors considered seven wicketkeepers, but finally settled for Dighe, Ratra and Dasgupta. The other four were Mongia, Milap Mewada, Dahiya and Vikram Rathour. A source said that the selectors were impressed with Baroda's Mewada, but since he is not the No. 1 wicketkeeper for the State, they decided against his selection. ``Dasgupta is a pure wicketkeeper and Ratra is also promising. They have been picked with an eye on th future,'' said Mr. Borde.

According to the BCCI Hon. Secretary Mr. Jaywant Lele, 23 out of the 26 probables were picked straightaway and that time was taken while considering the choice of an extra batsman, wicketkeepers and a bowler. Yuveraj Singh got the nod finally at the expense of probably, Baroda's Connor Williams. ``We have picked 26 probables, but I am not ruling out the possibility of a player who does not figure in the probables, to be chosen for the Zimbabwe's tour. This will be in case of an emergency. The one day series will be played after the Test series. So there will be scope to look at other players. Venkatesh Prasad was considered for the one-day series, but we have seen him before,'' said Mr. Borde.

Railways' medium pacer Harvinder Singh and Baroda's Rakesh Patel have been selected following their showing in the Ranji Trophy championship. ``We have chosen seven medium pacers. We thought four spinners will be enough for the camp.''

Mr. Lele said that the selectors decided to pick 26 probables because there will be only a week's gap between the time when the Indian team will return from Zimbabwe (July 7 or 8) and depart for Sri Lanka (July 15). The team for the Zimbabwe will be chosen on May 18.

lThe probables: Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V. V. S. Laxman, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Mongia, Mohd. Kaif, Sadagopan Ramesh, S. S. Das, Yuveraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sameer Dighe, Ajay Ratra, Deep Dasgupta, Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Harvinder Singh, Ashish Nehra, Debashish Mohanty, Rakesh Patel, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Harbhajan Singh, Sarandeep Singh, Rahul Sanghvi and Sairaj Bahutule.

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