March 22, 2002	Friday	Muharram 7, 1423

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MUMBAI, March 21: India’s cricket selectors on Thursday named Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffar in a batsmen-dominated squad for next month’s tour of the West Indies.

Jaffar, 24, who was discarded after two Tests against South Africa at home two years ago, returns as Shiv Sunder Das’s opening partner following centuries in each innings of a recent domestic match.

The predictable 16-man squad has seven specialist batsmen, including the seasoned quartet of captain Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman.

With the selectors also picking all-rounder Sanjay Banger and two wicket-keepers, Ajay Ratra and Deep Dasgupta, there is room for just two spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.

India will play five Tests against the West Indies, with the first to be played at the Bourda Oval in Georgetown, Guyana from April 11.

The team for five subsequent One-day Internationals will be named later, Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said.

Left-armers Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra will share the new ball with pace spearhead Javagal Srinath with young Tinu Yohannan as the back-up fast bowler.

Dinesh Mongia, whose unbeaten 159 helped India clinch the one-day series against Zimbabwe Tuesday, was selected for his first Test tour after playing 15 one-dayers for India.

The Punjab left-hander replaces dashing batsman Virender Sehwag, who was ruled out of the tour after sustaining a shoulder injury in the second Test against Zimbabwe earlier this month.

There was, however, no place for attacking stroke-player Yuvraj Singh despite an aggregate of 155 runs in the final two one-dayers he was selected to play against Zimbabwe.

Yuvraj will, however, replace Mongia in the India ‘A’ squad that begins a tour of South Africa next week.

The selectors once again ignored veteran wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia, preferring to keep faith in the young duo of Ratra and Dasgupta.

Dasgupta, who can also double up as reserve opener, kept poorly in the five Tests he has played so far. Ratra donned the gloves in the one-dayers against England and Zimbabwe.

Chairman of selectors Chandu Borde said Ratra was the first-choice wicket-keeper and would make his Test debut in the West Indies.

“Dasgupta has been included more as a batsman, Ratra will keep wickets in the Tests,” Borde was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

“There was no scope for including a third spinner in the team.

“The wickets in West Indies help fast bowlers and that is why we have selected four genuine medium-pacers and one all-rounder in Sanjay Bangar,” he said.

“The two spinners we are taking are world-class bowlers who can be effective anywhere, but accommodating a third spinner would have been very tough,” Borde said.

Squad: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Shiv Sunder Das, Wasim Jaffar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Dinesh Mongia, Vangipurappu Laxman, Sanjay Banger, Ajay Ratra, Deep Dasgupta, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath, Tinu Yohannan, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan.

Coach: John Wright. Physiotherapist: Andrew Leipus.—AFP