CHENNAI: Team India’s to-be director Ravi Shastri in all likelihood will not accompany the team for the Zimbabwe tour because of a media commitment with Sky Sports for the Ashes series.
Shastri, who is set to be handed a two year-contract this week by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, had communicated this decision before he left for the Bangladesh series. The team for three ODIs and two T20Is to be played in Zimbabwe will be announced on Monday. There is a possibility that Mahendra Singh Dhoni might be asked to board the flight as the BCCI is not keen on resting all top players.
Dhoni at his previous press conference in Mirpur last week hinted he might take a break, but with the wicketkeeper no longer involved in Tests, selectors could push him to make the short trip. India’s next assignment after Zimbabwe is in August and involves three Test matches in Sri Lanka. After that, India host South Africa for four Tests before five ODIs. Dhoni might lead a side sans Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and pacer Umesh Yadav, who are set to be rested.
But Dhoni seems to have told the team management he wants to spend time with his daughter who was born just before the World Cup. “There might be a long gap for Dhoni after this series. But remember, he has been on the road for long. He has a young daughter and didn’t get to see her during the World Cup. Then the IPL followed. He is keen on rest, but because of the schedule, he might well be playing in Harare,” a board official told Express.
It is learnt Test regulars might be rested. As a result, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Shikhar Dhawan might travel. The board is also not keen on handing out India caps to too many and with India A scheduled to play a tri-series involving South Africa A and Australia A from July 19, selectors might have a tough time in picking two sides.
“The board wants to have a strong pool of players and the A series is an important one as we are expecting South Africa and Australia to send strong sides. If all regulars are rested, it will be tough to give a strong A team to Rahul Dravid, who will manage the side for the first time. The board is also aware that some of the players badly need rest. So it has left it to the selectors to decide. Because if you leave it to players, a minimum of eight will say, ‘no’ to the Zimbabwe tour,” the official said.
If Dhoni is given rest, then Test keeper Wriddhiman Saha might come in and Sanju Samson is likely to be the gloveman for the A games. Shreyas Iyer, the 19-year-old Mumbai batsman who had an impressive Indian Premier League, is also on the selectors’ radar. Cheteshwar Pujara is the frontrunner to lead the India A team.
As far as Shastri is concerned, the BCCI was told about his commitment much earlier and though it might raise a few eyebrows, the board hierarchy is ready to back him. The deal with Sky Sports was done well before the BCCI came up with a fresh offer for Shastri. Though Shastri is not part of the Sky panel, it is learnt he will be used as analyst for the iconic series beginning on July 16.