A welcome move by the selectors

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, NOV. 28. The Indian team management had submitted its list of favourites. Ajit Agarkar obviously was quite prominent but the National selection committee had made up its mind. To be accountable to the cricket loving public, the selectors had to in turn make the players too accountable. So, the process was set in motion at the palatial Ram Bagh Palace here, leading to recognition for players of humble background.

Sanjay Bangar, the unsung Railways player; Iqbal Siddiqui, the jovial Maharashtra seamer; and Tinu Yohannan, the robust quickie from Kerala; were rewarded for their talent and performances by a selection committee which finally realised that reputation was no password for a place in the team.

``Perform or make way was the message as Venkatesh Prasad, Agarkar, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan were shown the door following their failures on responsive pitches in South Africa.

Siddiqui is no stranger to those who follow domestic cricket. This is his 10th season, bowling on placid tracks and never complaining. ``I always knew my chance would come and that was my motivation, said a modest Siddiqui, who rose from the dusty fields of Aurangabad to fulfill his childhood dreams.

Bangar again is not a new name on the horizon. A quality cricketer, he charted his course with a determination that can be the envy of many and the support that he received from coach Vinod Sharma was the key factor in this Railways all- rounder finally gaining the nod from the National selectors.

Yohannan hails from a sporting background, his father, the legendary long jumper T.C. Yohannan, being the driving force behind his rise. For the 22-year-old from Kerala, this was just the second season and quite eventful too. His education in cricket came at the MRF Pace Foundation, which has been performing a great service to Indian cricket, and, of course, his own efforts to make it big.

Yohannan's selection might give a tremendous boost to cricket in a sporting State known for giving the nation some great athletes. The National selection committee chairman, Mr. Chandu Borde, described Yohannan as a ``wonderful prospect. He's quick and deserved this chance at the right time. I am sure he'll deliver the goods and justify our faith in him.''

In two seasons thus far, Yohannan has 24 wickets from eight matches, but as Borde remarked, ``it was his talent and not just the number of wickets he has taken that mattered. I wish him well. His selection was a welcome change in the outlook of the selectors and none deserved more than this robust fast bowler from Kerala.''

Siddiqui may be a veteran on the circuit, but at 26 the Maharashtra seamer has seen enough to make the necessary adjustments. ``I've bowled mainly on unhelpful pitches and know how difficult it is to take wickets. It doesn't matter what level of cricket I may be playing. The intent always is to take wickets,'' said Siddiqui.

In the zonal league, Siddiqui has always bowled at his best against Mumbai and for years has taken pride in the fact that he reserved his best for the established batsmen. He calls his progress a ``fight against myself, always wanting to make a point. I looked at nothing but improvement,'' said Siddiqui, who once played a season for Hyderabad in 1995 before returning to Maharashtra.

Three persons have played an important role in Siddiqui's life - Anwar Sheikh, Minhaz Khan and his uncle N.Y. Ansari. For this very gutsy cricketer this big step forward would mean the beginning of a new chapter in a cricket career which is 10 years old, in which he has played 69 matches and claimed 236 wickets.

For Bangar, too, the grind has been tough, but his record does encourage his elevation to the big league - 3012 runs and 84 wickets in 56 matches. After left-arm spinner Murali Kartik and seamer Harvinder Singh, he becomes the third player from the Railways team to find a place in the Indian team. The well- mannered Bangar would add depth to the batting line-up and provide the right support to the attack, his fielding being a bonus no doubt.

The selectors deserve a pat for a job well-done, especially when picking these three and Sarandeep Singh, the Punjab off-spinner who has made claiming five-wicket hauls in an innings a habit.

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