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Tendulkar opts out of Windies ODIs

Source: PTI
April 18, 2006 16:23 IST
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Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the one-day series on the West Indies tour, and his availability for the Test series will be known only after a fitness test on May 10.

He told the Board of Control for Cricket in India that he is still recuperating after the shoulder surgery he underwent last month and would not be fit in time for the five-match series, from May 18 to 28.

The Mumbai batsman, however, has left open his availability for the four Tests, a decision he expects to make on May 10, when his fitness is to be assessed, according to Board sources.

The first Test begins on June 2 in Antigua.

The Indian team is scheduled to depart for the Caribbean Islands on May 12, and the squad for the tour will be picked in Mumbai on Thursday.

Tendulkar, who underwent a shoulder operation in London on March 27, was advised a 26-day rehabilitation programme.

The sources said the batsman is making steady progress but would be part of the Test squad only if he recovers fully.

"Tendulkar's chances of making the Test team are dependent on his recovery and the final assessment of his progress to find his full range of his shoulder movement, graded increases of the strength and control of the shoulder and scapulae will be done by May 10," the sources added.

Meanwhile, the selection committee, the sources said, has more or less decided the 16-member team for the five limited-overs games.

"The squad will have seven batsmen and bowlers each and two wicketkeepers," they said, adding, "Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Kaarthick will be the wicketkeepers."

The sources said that while Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, S Sreeshanth, Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar are automatic choices, the seventh bowler will be either Rudra Pratap Singh or VRV Singh, although Rudra Pratap has better chances of making it.

In the batting department, the team led by Rahul Dravid, will have Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh.

The chances of Mohammad Kaif and Venugopala Rao making it to the team depend wholly on their performance in the two matches against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

"In case these two fail to get runs, two old warhorses would get a recall," the sources said.

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