Ajit Wadekar

Eknath Solkar

THE exclusion of Mohammed Azharuddin from the Indian team for the Independence Cup received mixed reactions from former Test cricketers around the country.

While some felt the selectors were justified in their decision, others pointed to his exceptional fielding abilities and success rate on home turf should have worked in his favour.

DILIP SARDESAI (ex-Test batsman): Azhar's sacking, I feel, has more to do with reasons other than his on-field displays. His cricketing days are not yet over and since this event is more of an off-season tourney, he can very well be considered for other international tours. Gagan Khoda merits his selection. Nothing suspicious about that. The selectors had little to choose from and did well in recalling Vinod Kambli, who has shown a lot of improvement recently.

BALWINDER SANDHU (former Indian seamer and Mumbai coach): Overall, I am not happy with the selection of the team. I think guys like Wasim Jaffer and Nilesh Kulkarni should have been picked. And if Sachin Tendulkar needed an all-rounder, the selectors should have gone in for Hrishikesh Kanitkar or Sairaj Bahutule.

The dropping of Azhar was unfortunate. On Indian wickets he would have been a dada. The selectors should be picking players according to the playing surfaces. Azhar should have been dropped when he was undergoing lean patch on the pace-assisting West Indian tracks and retained for the Independence Cup.

POLLY UMRIGAR (Ex-Indian captain): I think that Azharuddin's inconsistency led to his downfall. For a frontline batsman, he was not delivering the goods and the selectors might well have thought of giving somebody else a chance.

I am glad that Kambli is back in the side. Considering his form, his selection was long awaited. In fact, he should have been in the team much earlier.

AJIT WADEKAR (ex-Indian captain): It was very unfortunate that the selectors couldn't accommodate Azharuddin. Probably his outward casualness cost him his place. Behind that casualness is a cricketer serious about his game. His fielding and batting abilities at home will be sorely missed.

Vinod Kambli's inclusion is a good move. He can keep the board ticking. But he will have to assume a lot of responsibility since he is the second-most experienced in the batting line-up after Sachin (Tendulkar).

I feel India will do well if they put their recent dismal displays behind and start afresh.

CHANDU BORDE (former India captain): The recall of Vinod Kambli is a welcome sign but the axing of Mohammed Azharuddin was uncalled for at this juncture.

Azhar's fielding is a plus point and his absence means that the Indian fielding will be further weakened. He would have been among runs on home pitches which would have boosted his confidence.

Kambli should now justify his recall. A comeback into the national team always put a player under tremendous pressure.

BHAGWAT CHANDRASHEKAR (ex-Indian leg-spinner): All players undergo a lean patch but I feel Azhar will definitely come back. He has still one or two years of cricket left in him. The intervening period would provide him rest and he could do well after that.

ERAPALLI PRASANNA (ex-Indian off-spinner): The selectors have strictly gone on merit. Azhar had not done well with the bat in one-dayers in South Africa and West Indies. Though he is known to be an excellent fielder, of late he has been doing duty in slips, which definitely someone else could do.

Azhar is not young and the average age of the team had dropped after his and Sidhu's exclusion. Maybe the selectors want to build a team of the future.

EKNATH SOLKAR (India's former fielding great): The sacking of Azharuddin was on expected lines. His poor run of form did him in.

Kambli's inclusion deserves a word of praise while Gagan Khoda's performances on the India `A' tour paved the way for his selection.

Though I read about a couple of Mumbai youngsters -- Wasim Jaffer and Ajit Agarkar being mentioned in the newspapers, I feel that despite possessing exceptional qualities, it's too early for them to be included in the national side.

ML JAISIMHA (ex-Test batsman): The sacking of Azhar was expected.

When there is no coordination between mind and body, the results are bound to be dismal. There had been a clear decline in Azhar's batting because of a variety of reasons.

MANSUR ALI KHAN PATAUDI (ex-Indian captain): I am not at all surprised to find Azhar dropped. He has had a pretty long run and has lately experienced a drought of runs.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.