07 January,2017 06:12 AM IST | | Ajit Bezbaruah
India all-rounder's fine domestic form helps him earn ODI place after three years & T20 spot since 2016 World event
Yuvraj Singh, BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad
Yuvraj Singh
Welcome to the highlights:
BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad & Co had a lot on their plate yesterday when they picked the squads for the ODI and T20 series against England. The selection panel also picked the previously injured Shikhar Dhawan (thumb), Ajinkya Rahane (finger), Hardik Pandya (shoulder), Ravichandran Ashwin (sports hernia) and Suresh Raina (elbow injury, viral fever) after they cleared their fitness tests. "All members named in the squads have been made to go through regular fitness tests and they have been selected only after clearing their tests," Prasad said at the media briefing.
Yuvraj's return was the most talked about subject as the selectors picked the 35-year-old southpaw who many pundits considered is past his prime. However, Yuvraj had a good Ranji season in which he scored 672 runs in five matches at 84.00 and a highest score of 260 against Baroda.
Justifying Yuvraj's selection, Prasad, the former India wicketkeeper who was part of Sachin Tendulkar's 1999-2000 team's tour to Australia, said: "We should appreciate how he has played. He did extremely well in domestic cricket." Soon after his selection, Yuvraj tweeted: "Yeah, baby tra laaa laa laaaa." But for some reason, he deleted it.
The selectors also recalled 37-year-old veteran left-arm seamer Nehra for the T20 series. Nehra underwent surgery after sustaining an injury during Indian Premier League last year.
Dhoni, who will no longer captain India since taking over the ODI captaincy during the home series against Australia and the T20 captaincy during the World T20 in South Africa in September 2007, has been named as wicketkeeper-batsman in both the formats.
