Singh back in India ODI squad

2008-08-07 11:13

India - India has recalled ace spinner Harbhajan Singh to its squad for this month's five-match limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, while resting pace spearhead Ishant Sharma.

India's selectors on Thursday elected to bring Singh back to the limited-overs squad after his five-match suspension for slapping fellow national squad player Shantakumaran Sreesanth during a domestic Twenty20 tournament in April.

Singh, who is currently playing in the Test series in Sri Lanka, missed a Bangladesh tri-series and the Asia Cup in Pakistan due to the five-match ban imposed on him by Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Also recalled to the one-day squad were star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and pace bowler Zaheer Khan, who had been sidelined with injuries but are both featuring in ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka.

The Indian cricket board's secretary, Niranjan Shah said Mahendra Dhoni will be back to lead the team against Sri Lanka and the biennial Champions Trophy, after missing the Tests against Sri Lanka. Dhoni was rested after playing nonstop cricket for a couple of years.

Omitted

"The selectors have rested Ishant Sharma from the one-dayers against Sri Lanka, but he will be back in the squad for the Champions Trophy," Shah told reporters after the team selection meeting.

Shah said India will send 16 players for the one-dayers in Sri Lanka, and the squad will be reduced to 15 for the Champions Trophy in September. Paceman Munaf Patel and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel will be omitted and Sharma brought back in.

The selectors also brought in rookie middle-order batsman Virat Kohli, while dropping batsman Robin Uthappa, allrounder Yusuf Pathan and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla from the squad that lost the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka.

India squad:

Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Pragyan Ojha; Ishant Sharma (to miss Sri Lanka series); Munaf Patel and Parthiv Patel (to be omitted ahead of Champions Trophy).

- AP