Why this double standards?

By Vijay Lokapally

NEW DELHI, MAY 6. Vinod Kambli scores runs and gets into the list of 25. Quite appropriate.

V.V.S. Laxman scores more runs than Kambli, but finds his name missing from the same list. Not quite fair.

Hrishikesh Kanitkar does little of note, but earned a place as a matter of right. Intriguing indeed. This left-hander from Maharashtra keeps making comebacks without any great effort, much to the dismay of many other young aspirants.

The selectors are at work and once again there is discontent around. On the same lines as the selection of the players for the National Cricket Academy a few days ago.

This time the selection involves probables for the conditioning or preparatory camp ahead of the Asia Cup to be held at Dhaka. The emphasis obviously, as the selectors would argue, has been on looking ahead and recognising the achievements in domestic cricket. But how does Laxman not figure in the list of 25 top contenders despite his amazing run compilation this season defies all logics.

How come Laxman scored runs in the same competition as Kambli and yet failed to convince the selectors? Playing match- winning innings is not easy at any level and this Hyderabadi came up with quite a few in the Ranji Trophy to enable his team make it to the final. All in vain it appears now.

The selectors want us to believe that even Jacob Martin, who is said to be comfortable playing the longer version of the game, is better than Laxman in limited overs cricket. Laxman, the selectors are now conveying, is much suited for five- day cricket. Agreed.

Why then did the same set of selectors axe Laxman for the Bangalore Test against South Africa after he had failed at Mumbai. That astonishing knock at the Sydney Cricket Ground at the start of this year was an apt commentary on Laxman's explosive potential to belt the ball, but not as far as the selectors were concerned. Laxman's failure in the tri-series in Australia seems to have gone against him, but the selectors do not seem to realise the player's predicament. Despite his reluctance, Laxman has been compelled to open the innings by different team managements when all his career he has preferred batting in the middle order.

Laxman, we are now being told, will henceforth be considered for Test selection only with a batting slot at six. He may welcome such a generous grant by the selectors, but that would also mean just two or three appearances in a season for Laxman, since the Indian team plays lot of one-day cricket most of the time.

By not considering Javagal Srinath, the selectors have given a clear indication that he too would be considered for Test matches only. Srinath is also understood to have written to the Board not to consider him for one-dayers. In any case, the Karnataka speedster had confided to coach Kapil Dev his wish to stay away from the one-dayers. The signals to Venkatesh Prasad too are disturbing. He had bowled well at Sharjah recently and it is not known whether he would figure in the scheme of things for Test cricket as Srinath's partner.

Nikhil Chopra finds a place only because there is no other off- spinner to challenge him, which is a pity indeed. Most of the batsmen in the country rate Kanwaljit Singh very high, but age happens to be the Hyderabad off-spinner's enemy. It is another matter that he continues to be as fit as some of the 20- year- olds in domestic cricket.

The selectors, however, need to be complimented for picking Hemang Badani, a gifted left-hander with the ability to play a wide range of strokes. Badani has the ability to produce shots which find their way past the fielders, an ability much- needed these days. He deserves a look-in just as his statemate S. Sriram needs to be groomed as an allrounder.

The medium-pacers picked themselves, again not an encouraging sign. The injury-prone Ajit Agarkar happens to be the best of the lot even as T. Kumaran promises to improve if groomed properly. Baroda seamer Zaheer Khan is talked of lot and one only hopes he does not end up the Debasis Mohanty way - spending his best time carrying drinks.

The inclusion of S.S. Das and Reetender Sodhi does raise hopes for the two talented cricketers. Murali Kartik obviously will have a lot of work at the `nets' because it is unlikely Sunil Joshi will once again be excluded when doing well. Kartik, one thought, would have been better off attending the academy at Bangalore than this camp.

The camp, one gathers, has been essentially organised to enable coach Kapil Dev and skipper Sourav Ganguly take first- hand look at some of the players they have not watched in domestic cricket. The selectors will give due respect to the assessment of Kapil and Ganguly before picking the team for the Asia Cup on May 22.

Why 25 cricketers for this camp? To counter the heat one learnt. When Saba Karim rests, Nayan Mongia will step in. When Joshi tires, Kartik will feed the batsmen. When both need a break, Sriram will do the needful in the company of Chopra or Robin Singh. Better than engaging some local bowlers who may not be of the desired quality. The same holds true for the seamers too.

Overall, there may not be much to complain about, but the perplexing omission of Laxman and the inexplicable inclusion of Kanitkar stand out sorely.

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