Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS) India’s chief cricket selector Kris Srikkanth said Thursday that the 15-member squad for the first two ODIs was selected purely on the basis of fitness and hoped the well-balanced side to do well at home.
Srikkanth said the the selection committee will go by the fitness report submitted by National Cricket Academy (NCA) and unfit players won’t be selected.
‘This is the first selection meeting of the new committee and we had a good discussion. Dhoni and new selector Jimmy were with us. We discussed everything threadbare and we have come to a good combination. We have chosen a very balanced side,’ Srikkanth told reporters after the meeting that was attended by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and new selector Mohinder Amarnath.
‘We have selected the team just for the first two ODIs and after the Delhi match we will select the team for the next matches. We have big series coming up against West Indies followed by the tour of Australia,’ he added.
‘Fitness will be properly scrutinised. We will go by the NCA report and will be strict with fitness issues, unless players are 100 per cent fit, they themselves will not like to play,’ he said.
Srikkanth said the selection committee had not compromised on quality.
‘It is a well-balanced side, a rejuvenated one, and even Dhoni is confident we will do well in future,’ he added.
Srikkanth said the new team was free from injuries and backed the juniors to do well.
‘We had a pretty young side in England and we did well, although we didn’t win any match but that was more to do with the injuries and rain, or otherwise we could have won a few matches at least.
‘This is our home series and in home conditions, I am confident we will do well. Senior cricketers were unfit so they were left out and we have a lot of youngsters. Youngsters bring a lot of enthusiasm.
‘We ensure we have a fully fit team. Youngsters will have to deliver and they would be enthusiastic. So lets support and back Team India and we will be back with a bang in the future,’ he said.
