New Delhi: The tight schedule of the Indian team has left the national selectors in a quandary as they prepare to pick pacers for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chandigarh from June 6.TOI understands that the selectors are scheduled to meet with the BCCI to discuss the roadmap for the next few months. The election meeting could be held this weekend or next week.
It is known that the selectors and the team management have expressed their desire to field the strongest XI in every Test. India have nine Tests to play in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle over the next nine months. However, the Test against Afghanistan has been kept out of this cycle.The main dilemma now is whether to push front-line pacers for Tests. IPL Expires on May 31. According to sources, the selectors are waiting to see which teams make the playoffs before deciding on the pace bowling attack.As of Tuesday, Lucknow Supergiants and Mumbai Indians were the only two teams to have been eliminated from the IPL playoffs. Jasprit Bumrah is the only fast bowler from both the teams who is a Test regular. However, Bumrah’s workload has been a sensitive topic over the years. The other Test regulars, Mohammad Siraj and Parsid Krishna, are with the Gujarat Titans, who are looking to make the play-offs in the last week of May.Akash Deep is still recovering from a lower back injury and is unlikely to be fit anytime soon. Harshit Rana is unlikely to be fit before the third week of June. The selectors have given enough indication that they have moved on from Mohammad Shami. As such, it will be a big surprise if they choose to go back to him for a single test.TOI understands that the pool of fast bowlers on the BCCI’s target list has been asked to increase their workload for the remainder of the IPL. Anshul Kamboj and Gurnor Brar have been part of the India ‘A’ scheme for the past one year. The only other fast bowler who could get a spot is Jammu and Kashmir’s Aqib Nabi, who has had an impressive two seasons in first-class cricket. However, he is not part of the India ‘A’ programme.It will be interesting to see if the selectors ignore the path they have created for the Test hopefuls. Prince Yadav has impressed the selectors but he too is yet to go through the grind.“The selectors don’t believe in compromising with the Test squad because India are playing Afghanistan. They want to play the best line-up. They don’t want to hand out Test caps so easily. Siraj’s workload is huge. Parshid hasn’t played an IPL match since April 24. Nitish Kumar Reddy is also seen as the person who can monitor all the data for the CBCCI.” points when it comes to workload management,” said a BCCI source, “will be taken after a detailed discussion with Bumrah. The last time India played a Test match against Afghanistan, the Frontline XI was fielded.However, all the frontline batsmen are expected to be selected for the single Test.
