Bhutia not among probables for Saudi match

Baichung Bhutia is not among the 32 players named for the national coaching camp, starting August 4 in Kolkata, in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on August 16.

The Mohun Bagan striker, who is not part of the team that is now in Canada for the Vancouver Whitecaps Nations Cup, has expressed his desire to call time on his international career.

AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had said he would talk to the star goal-poacher and try to persuade him to extend his career till the Doha Asian Games in "national interest".

The match against the Asian giants is the next assignment for English coach Bob Houghton, whose stint began on a losing note when India went down to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1-3 on Thursday.

India will also take on Japan in another qualifier in Bangalore on October 11, but the main target is the Doha Asian Games in December.

Players selected for the national camp:

Goalkeepers: Sandip Nandy (Mahindra United), Subrata Paul (Mohun Bagan), Subhasis Roy Chaudhary (Mahindra United), Arindam Bhattacharya (TFA).

Defenders: Surukumar Singh (Mahindra United), Mahesh Gawli (Mahindra United), N S Manju (Mahindra United), Deepak Mondal (Mohun Bagan), Samir Naik (Dempo SC), Anupam Sarkar (East Bengal), Narinder Singh (JCT), N P Pradeep (Mahindra United), Habibur Rehman Mondal (East Bengal), Abdul Bashir (SBT), Joe Paul Ancheri (Kerala), Debabrata Roy (East Bengal), Sanjiv Maria (Mohun Bagan), Rakesh Masih (TFA).

Midfielders: S Venkatesh (Mahindra United), Steven Dias (Mahindra United), Mehrajuddin Wadoo (Mohun Bagan), Manjit Singh (Bengal), Dharamjit Singh (Mohun Bagan), P. Renedy Singh (JCT), Tarif Ahmed (East Bengal), Micky Fernandes (Salgaocar SC), Madhab Kumar Das (Mohammedan Sporting), Bibiano Fernandes (East Bengal), K Ajayan (Mahindra United).

Forwards: Sushil Kumar Singh (Mohun Bagan), Rahim Nabi (East Bengal), Freddy Mascarenhas (East Bengal).