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Tendulkar ruled out of tri-series and Asia Cup

Special Correspondent

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the tri-series in Bangladesh (June 8-14) and the Asia Cup in Pakistan (June 24-July 6). Also Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik, because of injuries, would not be considered for selection.

The selectors meet here on Friday to pick the team for the tri-series and the Asia Cup. “Tendulkar has opted out of the two series,” said Niranjan Shah, Secretary, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The physio of the Mumbai Indians team, Nitin Patel, in his report had advised the BCCI to rest Tendulkar because of a chronic groin ailment. John Gloster, the Indian team’s physio in Australia had cautioned the champion batsman against allowing the troubling groin to reach a chronic state.

Captain of the Mumbai Indians team in the DLF-IPL, Tendulkar was forced to sit out the first seven matches and made 188 runs in the last seven matches.

Patel, who was the physio of the Indian Team on the last tour of England, has said in his report that Tendulkar has “75-80 per cent recovered from osteitis pubis (groin problem) that was present since February 2008 during the tour of Australia.”

Rehab programme

“He is currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme that includes strengthening of his core and specific functional strengthening of the groin. It is advisable to consider getting him to rest the groin from strenuous activities at present. “I have asked the physios of all the IPL teams to submit a fitness report of all the Indian players. The reports will be shown to the selection committee on Friday. A 15-member team will be selected for the tri-series in Bangladesh as well as the Asia Cup,” Mr. Shah said.

May pick Yusuf Pathan

Harbhajan Singh has been banned for five ODIs and the committee may pick Baroda’s Yusuf Pathan. Mr. Shah said the committee might also pick the India Emerging Players for the four nation one-day tournament in Australia from July 14-26. The other three teams are Australian Institute of Sports, South Africa Emerging Players and New Zealand Emerging Players. Until last year, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) played in the tournament.

At the behest of Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Gerald Majola, BCCI representatives Mr. Shah and Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Chief Administrative Officer, BCCI, have persuaded Cricket Australia to invite the Indian Emerging Players for the four-nation tournament.

Israel tour

An India ‘A’ team is scheduled to play three one-day matches in Israel soon. “We have to schedule it at an appropriate time,” said Prof. Shetty.

When asked about the status of the bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach, Robin Singh, Mr. Shah said: “We will have a meeting with Gary Kirsten and Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the selection of the team and decide on the support staff. The BCCI is not looking for an overseas bowling and fielding coach.” The news on the grapevine though is that Kirsten is keen to bring former South African seamer, Fanie de Villers on board.

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