Agarkar replaces Nehra

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, SEPT. 23. Ajit Agarkar will be going to South Africa as the skipper's choice, in place of Ashish Nehra, ruled out of the one-dayers on medical advice. The Chairman of selectors, Mr. Chandu Borde, made the announcement at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday, after a net session in the morning.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly, clearly disappointed at team physio Andrew Leipus' decision on Saturday, advising rest and rehabilitation for Nehra instead of making the South African trip, has got the replacement he wanted in Agarkar. Debasis Mohanty and Rakesh Patel were the other two pace bowlers in contention.

The lean Mumbai pace bowler will be part of a 15- member Indian team, scheduled to leave for South Africa on Monday morning. Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Harvinder Singh are the other new ball bowlers in the squad. Nehra, recovering from a groin injury, thus will be missing only the one-day part of the tour and is slated to join the team later for the Test series after completing two weeks of the recovery programme. Mr.Borde, chairman of selectors, emphasised that it was the physio's decision to rest the left-arm pace bowler after being chosen among the probables for the tour.

``Agarkar was chosen because we (the selectors) felt that he is better suited for the conditions out there. He is a bowler all- rounder and will be useful in the one-day series,'' reasoned the selection committee chairman, who addressed the media alongwith the skipper. The Indian team had a conventional net session, the focus of attention being batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, recovering from pain underneath his toe, and leg- spinner Anil Kumble, back after missing a major part of last season due to an injured shoulder. Both show no signs of discomfort and played with enthusiasm, including Nehra who troubled the batsmen with his pace and hostility.

Agarkar's last one-day international for India was the third match against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in June, taking one wicket at the cost of 55 runs from 10 overs and hitting 13 off 12 balls as Ganguly led the team to a four-wicket victory.

The Mumbai pace bowler, holding the distinction of taking the fastest 50 wickets in one-dayers, did not play in the subsequent Sri Lanka tour. The Indian team management wanted him for the third Test at Colombo, but the selectors turned down the request. This time however, they agreed with the captain's view of Agarkar's utility on the pacy wickets in South Africa.

The wiry Mumbai pace bowler, set for his maiden South African tour, has been more effective in one-day cricket, taking 116 wickets at an average of 29.65. His one-day batting average is 15.90, scoring 477 runs in 43 innings, below par performance considering the batting talent he has shown in first-class cricket. He will have the advantage of operating with Srinath and Prasad, both played on the last tour here under Sachin Tendulkar with Madan Lal as the coach.

Skipper Ganguly emphasised the positive mood in the squad even as he spoke about the prospect of a difficult tour. ``Australia and South Africa are probably two of the best teams now. Any international tour is tough because whichever side we play will be on home conditions for them,'' said the Indian skipper, for whom the return of seniors - Tendulkar, Srinath and Kumble - will make up for the absence of V.V.S.Laxman, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, three potential match-winners on the injury list, especially the young left-handers in the limited overs version of the game.

Asked whether his team had done any home work in preparation for the tour apart from physical and cricketing preparations, Ganguly pointed out that the team was reaching South Africa in advance to link up with coach John Wright, expected to join the squad directly in Johannesburg. ``The team is reaching South Africa in advance to get used to the conditions. The preparations will begin once we meet coach John Wright there,'' said the Indian skipper. The Indian team will leave for South Africa on Monday, September 24 and will begin its campaign in the triangular one- day series on October 5.

lThe squad: Sourav Ganguly (skipper), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, S.S.Das, Jacob Martin, V.Sehwag, Deep Dasgupta, Yuveraj Singh, Reetinder Sodhi, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Ajit Agarkar, Harvinder Singh, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Coach: John Wright.

Pace bowler Ajit Agarkar (right), who is chosen for the South African tour, with the BCCI's medical advisor Dr. Anant Joshi at the Wankhede Stadium during the practice session on Sunday.

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