The chief's choice

Durban: Sachin Tendulkar is being hard-pressed by Indian chief selector Krish Srikkanth to be part of the Indian Twenty20 team for the World Cup, in all probability to be announced here today.

Srikkanth and the rest of the selectors have spent considerable time in the last 24 hours to persuade Tendulkar to say yes to a format he has time and again turned his back upon.

"The team is doing well and I don't want to disturb the combination," Tendulkar has often said in the past, but his recent comments have encouraged Srikkanth to try his luck.

With his roaring success in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Tendulkar has now said it more than once that "Twenty20 is just not a young man's game - it's a cricketer's game."

His knock of 34 in yesterday's game against the Kolkata Knightriders has pushed his IPL tally beyond 200 runs at an average touching 50 runs per innings. Interestingly his strike-rate of 130 is more than decent in testing South African conditions.

Tendulkar, who celebrated his 36th birthday only last week, has been the best Indian performer in the present IPL bar none.

What has made Srikkanth tilt in Tendulkar's favour is the fact that nearly all the members of India's 2007 Twenty20 World Cup winning team are struggling for runs in South Africa.

Suresh Raina did hit a purple patch with 98 against the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday but the rest are cutting a sorry figure and are terribly out of form.

Yousuf Pathan (145 at 38.25) is just about the only exception as Yuv-raj Singh (96 at 24.00), Virender Sehwag (87 at 21.75), Gautam Gambhir (56 at 14.00), Robin Uthappa (38 at 7.50) and Mahinder Singh Dhoni (101 at 25.25) have struggled to put South Africa on fire with their pyrotechnics.

Injury to Sreesanth and the near-oblivious profile of Joginder Sharma hasn't quite helped the selectors' cause.

Tendulkar wasn't part of India's Twenty20 World Cup winning squad in this very country two years ago. He has steadfastly refused to put his hat in the ring whenever it has come to be part of the Indian team. If Srikkanth has his way, it can all change.

Do you think Tendulkar should play in the Twenty/Twenty World Cup? Is he as good in this version of the game as he is in the other versions?

I know that first priority should be that Sachin should remain fully fit in 2011 world cup. But what I feel after seeing the performances of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in Twenty20 that our last team that won the world cup is not able to win this time. We need Sachin to win this time. But in the end I would like to say that the decision should be left up to Sachin. But in my opinion, without him we cannot win this time game.
Nripendra Joshi
New Delhi,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 14:58

Sachin should play! He can play and destroy bowlers in any version of the game.
Abdul Malek
Hyderabad,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 12:55

Yes, Tendulkar should play the T20 World Cup.
Goutam
Gulbarga,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 12:18

surely he should play, sachin is a great player in any kind of form is known when to attack the bowlers and he is a very smart player, especially in the Twenty20.
Vikram Vemanna
Bangalore,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 10:46

Yes He should play in the T20 for the World Cup.
Souraj Mandal
Mumbai,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 10:45

no need, his availability i am sure that his presence in the twenty team will disturb the team balance. corrent team is enough to go ahead
Noufal Mohammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 02, 2009, 10:44

its really a nonsense question to ask if sachin is good enough to play in t20, if he is not then almost everybody else is not good to play this format. As far as sachin playing in t20 world cup is concerned then i personaly feel that he shouldn't because he needs some rest as well. and india needs him more in onedayers and test matches.
roshan
kathmandu,nepal
Posted: May 02, 2009, 09:18

Yes sure. He is a master blaster. Please don't forget his records.
Joji
UAE,UAE
Posted: May 02, 2009, 08:56

Definitely, the master is in no place doubtful to play the Twenty20 championship.
Shajeer
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: May 02, 2009, 08:56

Tendulkar is a better player in any form of cricket that exists. He has always proved it with his exceptional batting.
Ankit
Chennai,India
Posted: May 02, 2009, 01:46