India's squandering XI

The upcoming Cricket World Cup is one of the hottest topics of discussion in India right now. More so after the names of 15 cricketers who will be representing India were announced by the BCCI's selection committee. The absence of a backup keeper and the inclusion of Piyush Chawla who had last played an ODI in July 2008, have left the fans understandably bewildered.

So the Indian blog space has been fluttering with activity. Those who came close to reading the selectors' minds have been less hostile while expressing their surprise. Others who batted for a different team are already moaning the loss of the Cup. And then there are some who are looking beyond the Cup towards a better future for Indian cricket as a whole.

Srikanth from i3j3 Cricket (http://cricket24x7.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-world-cup-squads-sri-lanka-india.html) demands fair opportunity for all and a selection process based on performance rather than reputation. To make his point, he has come with a team of the country's "rich and spoilt" players who continue to be given preference over other talented players despite their poor performance. Here's the list of players from his blog and the reason for their inclusion in the notorious Indian "XI":

"No.1 Dinesh Karthik

Apart from a few die-hard Mylaporites who might oppose, he is a unanimous choice for wicketkeeper, opener

"No.2 Robin Uthappa

For someone who has had the opportunity to open with Tendulkar, he has blown the chances that have come his way.

"No.3 Yuvraj Singh (captain)

No one has been pampered more than this "maharaja" of spoilt brats who has played 265 one day games and continues to provide hope to a few.

"No.4 Rohit Sharma

I have been a fan of his till this series, but have crossed the floor to join those who want him to focus on other things than cricket.

"No.5 Suresh Raina

This was a hard decision but his best and only place is with the CSK. He doesn't have what it takes like Virat Kohli.

"No.6 Y. Venugopala Rao

I had to complete the middle order and looked through the stats of recent cricketers and he has played sufficient games to join the list. Any favorite of Greg Chappell will find a place on this side.

"No.7 Irfan Pathan

While the rest of the country is hoping that he turns up in India colors, he is busy "nowhere". What a talent gone wasted...

"No.8 Ravindra Jadeja

Unless the entire BCCI, selection committee, Dhoni and all owe him or his family a lot of money, I am not sure why his name even comes up for the Saurashtra team.

"No.9 Piyush Chawla

A leg spinner wannabe somehow finds his way ahead of bowlers like Ashwin or Ojha who actually take wickets. I guess a stint in the counties would help anyone get into the side.

"No.10 R. P Singh

He thought he could get away with a smile, and he actually did!

"No.11 Ishant Sharma

This is probably the most controversial selection from my standpoint. Barring a few spells in test cricket, he looked very ordinary even on favorable South African pitches."