The struggling trio had burst on the international scene under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy more than a decade ago. While form has long deserted Sehwag and Harbhajan, lack of fitness is said to be the reason behind Zaheer's non-inclusion. Collectively, Sehwag, Harbhajan and Zaheer have featured in 680 ODIs for India and their axing sends out a clear message that the selectors are thinking beyond big names as they plan for the next World Cup in 2015.
Surprisingly, prolific run-getter Cheteshwar Pujara, too, has not been included in the provisional list which will be pruned to 15 for the tournament which begins on June 5. Pujara is likely to lead the India 'A' team to South Africa at around the same time. The rule, however, doesn't stop the selectors from picking a player not named in the provisional squad. Off-spinner Parvez Rasool has been named in the list, making him the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to join the senior ranks.
Sehwag is the only player after Sachin Tendulkar to score a double hundred in the 50-over format. His 219 against the West Indies in December 2011 is the highest individual score. The 34-year-old, who has scored 8,273 runs in 251 ODIs with 15 centuries, was also been left out of the last two Tests in the recent series against Australia, which India won 4-0. Harbhajan has not played in an ODI since June 2011 while Zaheer has struggled with a calf muscle injury for the entire season.
Ganguly, however, has backed Sehwag, Harbhajan and Zaheer to stage a comeback. "Sehwag is 34, Harbhajan 32 and Zaheer 34. Age is on their side and I am sure they are motivated enough to stage a comeback," he said.
Patil's committee would have been encouraged by the fact that every player that they have picked has delivered when it mattered. For them, blooding youth seems to be the way forward. The likes of Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami Ahmed have not let the selectors down in the opportunities that have been provided to them. Their coming good has only made the comeback trail tougher for the stars.
India are drawn with South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies in group B of the Champions Trophy, from which the top two will qualify for the semifinals. The other group comprises England, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
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