Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies, it's going to be one long journey. And keeping in mind the heavy workload the players are going to be subjected to, the selectors are chalking out plans to make optimum use of about 25 core players in the scheme of things.
To start with, thought is being given to the pace-bowling department which will be under the maximum stress. With only two genuine strike bowlers in the squad - Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma - the likes of Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra and others need nurturing too so that a healthy pool of pacers is maintained.
"Eighty five per cent of the core team will remain unchanged in the course of the season ahead of us. But some new faces will also be inducted to expose them to international challenges," a source informed.
Former fast bowlers who spoke to TOI on Sunday had mixed opinions on the issue. "We have to use the fast bowlers intelligently. Ideally, we should have a camp for the bowlers separately and work on their technique. This is something which hasn't happened," former swing bowler Manoj Prabhakar said.
Talking about Ishant, Prabakhar pointed out: "Ishant has some problem with his action. He doesn't know how to control his front arm. His wrist position is also affected by it. The team management should look into it."
Another former pacer, Roger Binny had this observation: "If you are not fit then it will show in your bowling. Breaking down is part of the game. Fortunately, we are not short of fast bowlers," Binny said.
He also made a point about Ishant: "In 2004, when I first saw him in a Ranji match, I was impressed with the way he swung the ball. But last year, when I saw him again in the Asia Cup in Pakistan, I thought he was bowling very quickly, but wasn't swinging the ball. Zaheer is so effective because he swings the ball. He also uses his experiences very well."
According to Madan Lal, former medium-pacer, the decision to rest bowlers should be left to the players themselves. "Players know their body best. In India, the problem is that no one is willing to sit out and take rest. Everyone wants to play and that is something which is next to impossible."
"Nehra is the perfect example. While there was always a question mark over his fitness, I had faith on his ability. Now that he has made a comeback into the Indian team, it's his fitness that has made all the difference," Lal added.
