Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - Selectors identify probables for South Africa tour. Venkatesh Iyer is one of the probables for the South Africa tour.
Venkatesh Iyer is one of the probables for the South Africa tour.
The Indian selectors met on Tuesday (November 2) but did not pick the squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. Cricbuzz understands the Chetan Sharma-led committee has picked the probables for the South Africa tour to allow the Board of Control for Cricket in India to make the travel arrangements well in time before the 40-day tour starts early December.
The selectors have submitted a list of about 60 players so that the logistics department can work on getting the travel documents ready for the selected players. The list includes every player one can think of – from Virat Kohli to Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Iyer to Venkatesh Iyer. The final squad selection will, however, be picked at a later date but certainly from the bunch shortlisted on Tuesday. India play three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour that runs from December 17 to January 26.
There is no immediate clarity when the squad for the India-New Zealand home series will be picked. The series comprises three T20Is and two Tests from November 17 to December 7 following which the Indian team will take off to South Africa. It is likely that the selectors will announce the squad around November 8-9 when the formal interviews for the batting, bowling and fielding coach roles in the Indian team also take place.
As per the Supreme Court-approved constitution of the BCCI, the selection committee will have to conduct the interviews for the positions in support staff barring the head coach with Rahul Dravid confirmed on Wednesday by the Cricket Advisory Committee. The word is that the interviews for the batting, bowling and fielding coach roles will be done on November 8. The deadline for the submission of applications ended on Wednesday evening.
It is largely expected that Vikram Rathour will retain his batting coach job while Paras Mhambrey will be the new bowling coach. It should be a toss-up between Abhay Sharma and T Dilip for the fielding coach position unless the newly-appointed head coach, Dravid, has some other candidate in mind.
