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India selectors face captaincy headache

October 13, 2005 11:18 IST
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Indian selectors will meet on Thursday to decide whether to retain Sourav Ganguly as captain for this month's one-day series at home to Sri Lanka.

The 33-year-old batsman, India's most successful Test captain, has a mild tennis elbow injury and will undergo a fitness review on Monday.

He then is due to test his elbow in a domestic game before the seven-match series starts on October 25.

Ganguly, who has held the captaincy since 2000, has also been under pressure due to a prolonged batting slump.

His first Test hundred since late 2003 came in Zimbabwe last month and he has appeared more vulnerable against pace bowling.

The selectors kept faith with him for the Zimbabwe tour amidst speculation that batsman Rahul Dravid, his long term deputy, could take over.

Dravid was stand-in captain for the August one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka after Ganguly had to miss the first two games due to a ban for his team's slow over rates during a one-day series defeat against Pakistan at home in April.

Ganguly's poor form also set off a row with India's Australian coach Greg Chappell in Zimbabwe.

The captain's comments in the media that Chappell wanted him to step down before the first Test sparked a team crisis, aggravated after an email was leaked from the coach to the board saying Ganguly was not fit to lead the team anymore.

The board stepped in to resolve the matter and ordered the players not to discuss the issue with the media.

India's focus ahead of a busy season will also be on Sachin Tendulkar, who was sidelined for six months after elbow surgery.

He looked rusty in his comeback this week, making 12 and four in his first competitive games since April, in an ongoing domestic one-day tri-series in Mohali.

India also host South Africa for a one-day series in November before Sri Lanka return to play three Tests. In January, India tour Pakistan and then host England in March-April.

The squad for the Sri Lankan one-dayers will be selected on Friday.

 

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Source: REUTERS
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