India Don't Look Back with Selection of Provisional World Cup Squad
In the wake of Thursday's announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India regarding the nation's provisional 30-man squad to tour Australia and New Zealand for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, it makes for interesting reading to run your eye over the XI that captured the world title for India in 2011.
On April 2 of that year in Mumbai, India's side for the country's historic clash with Sri Lanka read: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth.
As they prepare to defend their crown nearly four years on, only three of those men will be present. Of course, retirement and a life ban account for Tendulkar and Sreesanth respectively, but the other six have simply been discarded.
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In fact, in the entire 30-man provisional squad announced on Thursday, only four took part in India's charge to the 2011 title on home soil.
The most notable of the exclusions are those of Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Harbhajan and Zaheer. Decorated figures in Indian cricket they are, but the BCCI has clearly unshackled itself from the sentimentalism that once plagued its selection process.
"Seniors were also considered [for selection]. There was a discussion on everyone," said BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel on the announcement, per ESPN Cricinfo.
"But the thought process was to give preference to performers. The youngsters have been doing very well at the domestic level so they could not be ignored. Barring major injuries, the World Cup squad would be from this lot. Captain's views were also considered."
| Shikhar Dhawan | Ishant Sharma | Ravichandran Ashwin | MS Dhoni |
| Rohit Sharma | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Parvez Rasool | Robin Uthappa |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Mohammed Shami | Karn Sharma | Sanju Samson |
| Virat Kohli | Umesh Yadav | Amit Mishra | Wriddhiman Saha |
| Suresh Raina | Varun Aaron | Ravindra Jadeja | |
| Ambati Rayudu | Dhawal Kulkarni | Akshar Patel | |
| Kedar Jadhav | Stuart Binny | Kuldeep Yadav | |
| Manoj Tiwary | Mohit Sharma | ||
| Manish Pandey | Ashok Dinda | ||
| Murali Vijay |
Perhaps more than anything, the board's progressive mentality and push for youth is indicative of how quickly the modern limited-overs formats are evolving.
Never has the game been as frenetic as it is now; never before has it placed the premium on athleticism and vitality that it currently does.
In modern cricket—and in sport more generally—there's no time to look back. And never has that been more true for international sides than during the lead up to the 2015 World Cup.
"I would not like to comment at this [whether it is the end for Sehwag and Yuvraj in international cricket] level as I mentioned earlier," Patel said, when questioned on the futures of India's discarded stars.
"I think all of us should be happy that a lot of young cricketers have been considered for this, as a part of the probables. I feel that considering the future after the World Cup is also part of the thought process."
Frankly, such foresight has too often been missing from India.
Its presence is a refreshing change.
Importantly, India's defence of their World Cup title now feels full of conviction; the announcement is an injection of confidence and faith in the emerging group who've impressively maintained the country's position at the pinnacle of one-day cricket despite the navigation of a transitional period.
Indeed, instead of turning to former sources of strength at a critical juncture, the BCCI's forward-thinking selections will have buoyed those on the fringe of the Indian 50-over side—a critical component in constructing a deep and resourceful squad for an international tournament.
And looking at the composition of the provisional group, India should be able to put together exactly that.
So while the whereabouts of this World Cup and the conditions expected had meant India were never going to be among the teams most suited to the tournament, by not looking back, they've ensured they'll arrive among the best prepared.
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