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| October 31, 2006 | Tuesday | Shawwal 7, 1427 |
India recall Kumble, Zaheer for SA ODIs
MOHALI, Oct 30: Veterans Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan were on Monday recalled to the under-performing Indian team for five One-day Internationals in South Africa next month.
Leg-spinner Kumble, 36, has not been considered for limited-overs cricket since August, 2005, despite being the most successful Indian bowler in both forms of the game with 533 Test and 329 one-day wickets.
Left-arm seamer Zaheer, 28, was dumped after the tour of Pakistan in February and spent time honing his skills with English county Worcestershire.
Zaheer has claimed 155 wickets in 107 one-dayers and appeared fit and raring to go in domestic cricket this season.
Both Kumble and Zaheer were brought back a day after India were knocked out of the ongoing Champions Trophy at home following a six-wicket defeat at the hands of favourites Australia here.
New chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar refused to make wholesale changes even though Rahul Dravid's men have lost eight of their last 10 One-day Internationals.
Off-spinner Ramesh Powar was the only omission from the 14 that played in the Champions Trophy where India defeated England before losing their next two matches to the West Indies and Australia.
Test opener Wasim Jaffer, who has yet to play a one-dayer despite playing 14 Test matches, was the only surprise inclusion for the tour.
“We expect wickets in South Africa to be grassy and favouring fast bowlers, so it was decided to bring in an extra opener like Jaffer,” Vengsarkar told reporters here.
The team for the three Test matches to follow will be named later, he added.
Yuvraj Singh, who tore a ligament on his left knee last week, and seamer Ajit Agarkar, recovering from a broken left thumb, were retained in the squad, subject to passing fitness tests.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Dinesh Karthik and seamer Vikram Pratap Singh will stand-by in case Yuvraj and Agarkar fail to make the tour which begins on Nov 16.
India begin the six-week tour with a practice match against South Africa 'A' in Benoni on Nov 16.
The five one-dayers will be played in Johannesburg (Nov 19), Durban (Nov 22), Cape Town (Nov 26), Port Elizabeth (Nov 29) and Centurion (Dec 3).
A Twenty20 international, India's first, will be held in Johannesburg on Dec 1 between the fourth and fifth one-dayer.
The three Tests will be played in Johannesburg (Dec 15-19), Durban (Dec 26-20) and Cape Town (Jan 2-6).
India's one-day squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh (Dinesh Karthik on stand-by), Suresh Raina, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar (Vikram Pratap Singh on standby), Munaf Patel, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan.
Coach: Greg Chappell.—AFP
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