Rediff India Abroad
 Rediff India Abroad Home  |  All the sections

Search:



The Web

India Abroad




Newsletters
Sign up today!

Article Tools
Email this article
Top emailed links
Print this article
Contact the editors
Discuss this article

Home > Cricket > Reuters > Report

No need to panic, says Kiran More

September 26, 2006 17:42 IST

India's outgoing chief selector Kiran More says there is no need to panic ahead of next month's Champions Trophy, despite the team coming in for severe criticism after a poor showing at a tri-series in Malaysia last week.

India were expected to cruise into the final of the Kuala Lumpur event, which also involved Australia and the West Indies, but won just one of their four matches.

Former players have slammed the team for a poor batting display, which they say was caused by unnecessary experimentation with the batting order.

"This is only one tournament. They are trying out different things," More, whose term as selector ends later this week, said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India will announce the new selection panel after the two-day annual general meeting concludes on Thursday.

"We are preparing for the World Cup. There is no need to panic," he said.

"We are not the only team experimenting. Everybody is trying out something. Australia experimented with Shane Watson, who had not opened in one-dayers before the Malaysian tournament."

India have experimented with their batting order since last year seeking flexibility going into the World Cup in March.

PACEMAN PROMOTION

The shuffling of middle-order batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif and the promotion of paceman Irfan Pathan up the order last season had been a unique move, and one that bore results.

But coach Greg Chappell has come under intense criticism for persistently opening with skipper Rahul Dravid, India's mainstay in the middle-order, and pushing dynamic opener Virender Sehwag down the order in the Malaysian series.

Dravid has not scored a half century in his last nine innings -- after opening in seven of them -- since the second one-dayer against the West Indies in May. India lost the away series 4-1.

Sehwag opened in only India's final match in Malaysia and had a poor tournament, scoring just 28 runs.

India fell 18 runs short in their must-win match against Australia after having bowled out the eventual champion for a paltry 213.

"It's time Chappell stopped his experiments with the team," former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri told Dubai-based Gulf News after the Kuala Lumpur defeat.

More said there is no confusion within the team and that Sehwag is aware the experimentation is necessary to try to find flexibility.

"I don't think there is any confusion," he said.

"It did not click. But we can always go back to the original order."



© Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Share your comments


 What do you think about the story?




Read what others have to say:


Number of User Comments: 1




Sub: Exit of Kiran More: The Nastiest selector

At last some relief int his week. A crucial member of the nasty racket consisting of More-Chappell-Dravid-BCCI will be out! But we are sure the ...


Posted by Dr. Rajkumar Sigh




Disclaimer


Advertisement






Copyright © 2006 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved.