Shiv Sena demands Suresh Raina's return to Team India

Varanasi, May 24 (UNI) Close on the heels of 'Wisden Cricketer' magazine naming Suresh Raina among the 10 players who would define the world cricket in the next decade, the Shiv Sena here today took to street demanding return of the southpaw into the Indian squad.

Raising anti-BCCI and selection board slogans, the saffron activists carried out a procession on the Ganga ghats and demanded that in wake of Wisden honour, the talented lad from Ghaziabad be recalled for national duties in the forthcoming tour of Ireland.

The activists led by district party president Gulshan Kapoor also burnt effigies of BCCI president Sharad Pawar and chief national selector Dilip Vengsarkar for ''cold shouldering'' a promising cricketer like Raina.

''Suresh being named among the 10 most promising players for the next decade by Wisden, considered the Bible of International Cricket, is a slap on the face of national cricket establishment that is still banking on flop players like Virendra Sehwag,'' Mr Kapoor said.

He added ''Wisden has tipped Raina as the left-handed Sachin Tendulkar of Team India, but he is still to find favour with BCCI, which sent to the just concluded World Cup, a team cobbled up on the basis of whims and fancies, only to be humiliated by minnows like Bangladesh. Both Mr Pawar and Mr Vengsarkar must either quit their job for not selecting a talented cricketer like Raina or include him in the national side for Ireland.'' The plucky left-hander from Muradnagar (Ghaziabad), Raina has not found favour from national selectors after being dropped from the Indian team, following the drubbing in the last series in South Africa.

UNI