My heart goes out to Sreesanth who should be counting himself terribly unlucky to have missed out on selection for the Champions Trophy. An aggressive attitude and a knack of getting wickets made the Kerala youngster a fixture in the side. Sadly, the selection committee thinks otherwise now.

The axing of Sreesanth is not really justified. A bowler with a nous for picking wickets might concede a few extra runs. That should not be held against him as long he fulfils his strike role. The runs per over column has swelled for most bowlers in the last five years. With overs-specific cricket becoming increasingly batsman-oriented, every side is leaning towards an attack with a good strike prowess. Sreesanth gave the Indian attack a cutting edge in this department.

As skipper I would love to have one bowler who can guarantee me two or three wickets every game. With Irfan Pathan becoming an increasingly restrictive than an attacking force, Sreesanth was becoming the hustler who got the wickets.

A live example in the side is Ajit Agarkar whose economy rate stands at 5.03 per over while his strike rate is 33 balls per wicket. If Agarkar continues to find a slot based on his ability to get wickets, why not Sreesanth? Eighteen ODIs are too few to judge a bowler’s ability.

Sreesanth who played a pivotal role in India’s historic Test triumph in the Caribbean recently has been in fine rhythm and measuring up well to the demands of international cricket. My rule is never dent the confidence of a player when he is in full cry.

Now it is up to Sreesanth to pick himself up and deliver the goods in Malaysia and prove his worth. Players with bigger reputations in the past have had the door shut on them for no apparent reason. So this is nothing new to Indian cricket. I am confident the youngster will bounce back.

I have no grudges though against the selection of R.P. Singh. The UP lad is a fine seamer and deserved this call. A bowler with a good high-arm action and a straight wrist that allows the ball to land on the seam more often than not, Singh can be a deceptive customer. I only hope he is persisted with.

There is absolutely no point in chopping and changing a team when players are delivering the goods.

The rest of the selection I assume would have been a formality. With Kumble not available on fitness grounds, Ramesh Powar might have got a fresh lease of life but once Anil is fully fit I don’t see a place for the portly Mumbaikar.

The non-selection of Sourav Ganguly left me perplexed. Realistically, Sourav stood very little chance with his current form and fielding but why a player of his stature should go through this every time the selectors meet is beyond my comprehension.

Having named him in the list of probables, Sourav should have walked into the squad. Why give a player who has served the country with distinction a false sense of hope? Let me make it clear the players who had taken Sourav’s slot in the side do not measure up to the high standards he had set, especially in the shorter version.

(www.krishcricket.com)

I saw a recent interview of Sourav on television and it pained me when he stated that no one has spoken to him from the board or the selection committee to explain the reason for his non-inclusion over the last six months.

Whether he is ever going to be selected again is a million dollar question but the selectors could have communicated better to the former skipper.