Tough task for selectors in ODI selection

MUMBAI: The national selection panel meets here on Friday to pick the team for next month's ODI tri-series in Bangladesh and the subsequent Asia Cup in Pakistan amid speculation that youngsters who have done well in the Indian Premier League might be given a chance.
    
The tri-series in Bangladesh will be held from June 8-14 and would be followed by the Asia Cup in Pakistan. The five-member selection panel led by Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar will also have to decide on the fate of senior players Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
    
The two former India skippers were not picked for the last ODI series played by India, the triangular series in Australia that India won for the first time by a comprehensive 2-0 margin over the reigning world champions in this format of the game.
    
A lot would depend on what ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wishes as also the inputs from coach Gary Kirsten. The duo is scheduled to attend the meeting at the Cricket Board's headquarters here.
    
The Bangalore and Kolkata teams led by Dravid and Ganguly failed to sparkle in the IPL and have been knocked out of the competition before the semi-final stage.
    
The two senior batsmen put up a mixed show with the bat, but what may tilt the scales against their inclusion could be the fact that both are not the fleetest of fielders as compared to younger rivals.
    
Ganguly, who had formed one of the world's best-ever opening combinations in the 50-over format of the game with Sachin Tendulkar, could get the nod if the latter opts out of the Bangladesh event as is being speculated in the media, though nothing specific has come from the Cricket Board on this matter.
    
The other two opening slots perforce seem to have been nailed by Gautam Gambhir and his Delhi Ranji and IPL skipper Virender Sehwag, with their strong showing in the Twenty20 league.
    
Swapnil Asnodkar, the Goa Ranji opener, could also be discussed following his flamboyant approach in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.
    
Dravid faces competition from younger and fitter rivals like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Venugopal Rao and S Badrinath but, in the likely absence of in-form and injured batsman Rohit Sharma, could just squeeze his way in because of his vast experience.
    
The selectors are expected to look long and hard over the multi-faceted cricketers like Yousuf Pathan, who can also fill in the off spinner's slot in the absence of the banned Harbhajan Singh, and Abhishek Nair, a handy lower order batsman and useful medium pacer.
    
In Australia, Dinesh Kaarthick had taken up the second wicketkeeper's spot behind Dhoni, but his lack of runs in the IPL coupled with the superior batting form of key rival Parthiv Patel could tilt the balance in the latter's favour if the selectors do opt for two stumpers in the four-match tournament in Dhaka and the June 24-July 6 Asia Cup.
    
Piyush Chawla looks a certainty with his brilliant displays in the IPL, but it's questionable whether Railways' left-arm spinner Murali Karthik is chosen as the third spinner in spite of his lack of success for Kolkata Knight Riders or
someone else like Hyderabad's Pragyan Ojha gets the nod.
    
There's a surfeit of options in the pace bowling department and the selectors may not lose sleep over the likely absence of Zaheer Khan because of a recurrence of his ankle injury.
    
S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and R P Singh are strong contenders while Ishant Sharma is expected to get a call-up because of his extra pace.
    
There are also others like Praveen Kumar, V R V Singh, the fit-again Ashish Nehra and L Balaji, and impressive rookies Manpreet Singh Gony and V Yo Mahesh snapping at the front-runners' heels.
    
Choices are many in front of the selectors who need to do a good balancing act to get things right for the two events that kick off yet another hectic international schedule for India till next April.