In the end it was a joke that was not in good taste. For, if only India's Test captain Anil Kumble had not taken it seriously he would not have had the misfortune of being rebuked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the first time in his career.
It was Kumble's interview to a Mumbai daily which caused all the commotion and heartburn among the national selectors who did not take kindly to him revealing intricate details on the choice of wicket-keepers in the Test team.
But Media has reliably learnt that both the selectors and Kumble were always on the same page over choosing two specialist wicket-keepers once it was known that Test vice-captain MS Dhoni will be pulling out.
Some in the know are also not too happy with Kumble going public with his views and had privately mentioned that he will "face the consequences", which he has albeit mildly. "He (Kumble) is lying. He is twisting facts and presenting it to everyone. We too know our cricket," said a top BCCI official.
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But Media has reliably learnt that both the selectors and Kumble were always on the same page over choosing two specialist wicket-keepers once it was known that Test vice-captain MS Dhoni will be pulling out.
The reference to Rahul Dravid as the second wicket-keeper was meant to be a joke by one of the selectors. It is learnt that as the selectors and Kumble agreed unanimously on choosing two specialists behind the stumps, a light-hearted comment was made.
''If we take only one ('keeper) then we might have to again depend on Rahul to be the second 'keeper,'' is apparently what a selector joked. What was meant as a joke has turned out to be a serious issue now with Kumble being warned.
''If we take only one ('keeper) then we might have to again depend on Rahul to be the second 'keeper,'' is apparently what a selector joked. What was meant as a joke has turned out to be a serious issue now with Kumble being warned.
Not in good taste
Some in the know are also not too happy with Kumble going public with his views and had privately mentioned that he will "face the consequences", which he has albeit mildly. "He (Kumble) is lying. He is twisting facts and presenting it to everyone. We too know our cricket," said a top BCCI official.
Some others are also not taking kindly to Kumble's insistence on Dinesh Karthik at every selection meeting. It is public knowledge that Karthik made the trip Down Under purely on Kumble's recommendation. Now again this past week when the selectors met, Karthik was Kumble's first choice as a stumper when the meeting started once Dhoni's pullout became public.
That Parthiv Patel was also chosen is a reflection of that he was the selectors' choice. So we now have Karthik as skipper's choice and Parthiv as selectorial pick.
But when the Test series gets underway on July 23 Karthik will be first off the blocks because he has the skipper's backing.
Lax or Viru?
The choice of 'keepers were not the only cause of debate and discomfort between the two parties (selectors and Kumble). It can now be revealed that with Dhoni pulling out it was hotly debated on who should be Kumble's deputy. It is learnt that Kumble was keen on the Hyderabad touch artiste VVS Laxman and not the belligerent Virender Sehwag to be chosen as his vice-captain. The selectors had to step in and make Kumble see reason on why it is a poor idea.
The choice of 'keepers were not the only cause of debate and discomfort between the two parties (selectors and Kumble). It can now be revealed that with Dhoni pulling out it was hotly debated on who should be Kumble's deputy. It is learnt that Kumble was keen on the Hyderabad touch artiste VVS Laxman and not the belligerent Virender Sehwag to be chosen as his vice-captain. The selectors had to step in and make Kumble see reason on why it is a poor idea.
"We have to think for the future. We cannot have two ageing players formulating decisions for the team," is how Kumble is learnt to have been reasoned with.
It is indeed an irony that the same Sehwag, whose Test career was revived earlier this year at Kumble's insistence, was not the first choice to be his deputy.
Yuvraj's shoulder injury
The other major decision taken at the selection committee this past week was the axing of Yuvraj Singh from the Test team.
The other major decision taken at the selection committee this past week was the axing of Yuvraj Singh from the Test team.
This is because some selectors were keen to mend Yuvraj's ways in the same manner as Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh. Both Sehwag and Harbhajan went out of favour in 2007 on disciplinary grounds.
A long spell in the wilderness ensured that Sehwag and Harbhajan came back more hungry than before. The selectors are keen to replicate the same with Yuvraj who has had instances of indiscipline in the last six months especially on the Australian tour when he was slightly distracted by outside influences.
Plus what also went against Yuvraj was a revelation by Indian coach Gary Kirsten to the selectors that he is carrying a shoulder injury. The injury meant that the left-hander does not field at his favourite point region, but instead is found in the 'safer' mid-on and mid-off region.
It is not clear whether Yuvraj may have to go in for a surgery but it is an injury which has hampered him.
Mixx it!
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