MUMBAI: The Indian ODI squad for the upcoming triangular cricket series in Australia as well as the World Cup that follows almost immediately will be picked by the five-man selection panel here on January 6.
“The selection of the squad for the tri-series and World Cup will be done at 1 pm in Mumbai on January 6,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel told PTI today.
The tri-series, featuring India, hosts Australia and England, commences on January 16 and concludes with the final on February 1. India play their opening game on January 18.
The World Cup is scheduled from February 14 to March 29 in Australia and New Zealand, and India would be playing warm-up games from February 8.
The selection panel, headed by Sandeep Patil, has shortlisted 30 players for the World Cup and the final squad will consist of 15 members, who will be defending the coveted title won in 2011.
Meanwhile, the BCCI Secretary dismissed speculation in the Australian media that Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who quit Test cricket yesterday, will return home in the short window available from now till the end of the fourth and final Test in Sydney on January 10
“I have already stated in the media that he is staying with the team as emergency back up for wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha as we are not sending any other ‘keeper to fill in. His coming back and then going again (for tri-series) will be a five-day programme,” said Patel.
He was reacting to a report in an Australian newspaper which said ‘Dhoni travelled to Sydney with the Indian team a day after shocking the world with his Test retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to decide if he will remain with the squad’.
