Team India for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: It is not about 30, it is about final 15.

There is a reason, if one feels Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Ghambir were hard done by after being left out from the list of 30 probables for the World Cup, the reason being their match winning performances in the past. Sticking to the past, it throws one moreargument to the whole debate that is, when was the last time these five ageing players represented India in One-Day Internationals (ODI). While Harbhajan and Zaheer last played an ODI in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the rest last featured in ODIs for India in 2013.It gives an indication that long before announcing 30 probables for World Cup these five players were never actually on selectors radar, had they been then definitely chances would have come their way.

Let’s assume evenif selectors would have named these players in the preliminary list, then it would have been more of a consolation selection because ultimately they won’t have featured in the final 15 squad for the World Cup, given they hardly have been tested for a long time now. And it would have been more disappointingthen to see these players failing to make it to final 15-man squad after featuring in the initial list.

There is a positive thing in it if selectors have named some young players like Manish Pandey, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson and Parvez Rasool instead of the aforementioned five players, that istheinclusion in the list will give these youngsters a boost that they are in contention andthey will be inclined to produce best results on field to be part of India in future.

Moreover, some may argue that being left out means disrespect to these players who once formed core of the side, but again it was due, that these players will miss the selection bus for World Cupbearing in mind their form of late. It never is about being named in the preliminary list, it is all about inclusion in final 15 and taking into consideration the new breeds performance the ageing five were never an option for World Cup, except may be Yuvraj Singh given his contribution in the big tournaments.But again they hardly fit in Team India’s current scheme of things and that is what life is all about, it ends somewhere may be for these players that time is now.