Pathan returns for Pakistan one-dayer

Published November 7, 2004

MUMBAI, Nov 6: Fast bowler Irfan Pathan has been named in India's squad for next week's One-day International against Pakistan after recovering from a side strain , it was announced here on Saturday.

Pathan, who missed the last two home Tests against Australia due to the injury, was one of four pacemen selected in the 15-member squad for the one-off match next Saturday to celebrate the Indian cricket board's platinum jubilee.

Saurav Ganguly returns to lead the team in Kolkata after skipping the last two matches against the Australians due to a groin injury.

The selectors said the Indian captain would undergo a fitness test on Wednesday. Rahul Dravid will lead the team if Ganguly fails to regain fitness, they added.

Pakistan, who have beaten India in the last three matches, will be playing their first one-dayer in this country since 1999.

Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the Champions Trophy tournament in England in September due to an elbow injury, has been included in the one-day squad for the first time since August.

Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, named man of the match in India's stunning victory over Australia in the fourth and final Test here on Friday, failed to find a place in the full-strength squad.

"It was hard on Kartik, but he had to be left out as the selectors felt that only two spinners could be accommodated in the one-day squad," a board official said.

Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are the two specialist spinners in the squad.

The selectors recalled left-handed batsman Sridharan Sriram, who played his sixth and last one-dayer at home in 2000 against Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, former Test leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule will lead a Board President's team against South Africa in a three-day game starting at Jaipur on Nov 14.

South Africa will also play two Tests at Kanpur (Nov 20-24) and Kolkata (Nov 28-Dec 2) after the tour-opener.

Indian one-day squad: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid (vice-captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sridharan Sriram, Dinesh Karthik.

Board President's XI: Sairaj Bahutule (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Dheeraj Jadhav, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Hemang Badani, Venugopal Rao, Dinesh Mongia, Ramesh Powar, Shib Paul, Amit Bhandari, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Avishkar Salvi, Joginder Sharma.-AFP

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