Unlucky Joginder

Jan 26, 2007

Axe on Joginder totally uncalled for

B D NARAYANKAR

BBaan nggaal loor re e: : Haryana all-rounder Joginder Sharma, who was inducted in the Indian squad for his superb performance in the Ranji Trophy matches this season, has been a victim of the whims and fancies of the national cricket selectors. He has been shown the door after getting just one chance in the Cuttack game against the West Indies.

Sharma, who had shown lot of promise this season, is now at the crossroads of his career. He does not know whether he should be playing domestic cricket or wait for yet another call to play for India.

The selectors have certainly given him a raw deal and they need to explain why Sharma, in the first place, was picked in the squad? Was he used to ‘protect’ and later include the blue-eyed boy Irfan Pathan into Team India? Will Karnataka opener Robin Uthappa also face the same fate if the selectors are planning to recall Delhi dasher Virender Sehwag? These are some of the questions bothering cricket experts, including batting legend Sunil Gavaskar.

Nevertheless, the selectors have their own reasons to select Pathan, who was sent back from the tour of South Africa. He also became the first player in the history of Indian cricket get such a kind of a rap.

It just took a couple of domestic matches for the selectors to recall Pathan into the national squad. His seven-wicket haul in the Ranji trophy semifinal against Mumbai convinced chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar of his bowling form.

The Vadodra pacer certainly fills the vital allrounder’s slot and adds balance to the team. Even captain Rahul Dravid loves to have a cricketer like him in the side.

If this has happened to Pathan it is only a matter of time before ‘The Nawab of Najafgarh’ is back in the Indian team for the World Cup. Sehwag had almost laid his claim for selection when he notched up a swashbuckling century against Haryana just a day before the selectors announced the squad for the first two one-dayers against West Indies at Rajkot.

Interestingly, Vengsarkar had not been harsh against Sehwag, Pathan and Munaf Patel while announcing the team for the first two matches against West Indies at Rajkot on January 12. The ‘Col’ had said: ‘’They are great players and capable of making a comeback. They are low in confidence and we felt they need a break from the international scene and get back to their basics playing domestic cricket.’’