Emphasis on youth while picking Twenty 20 probables

Mumbai, July 6 (UNI) The emphasis of the national selectors, who meet here tomorrow to pick the 30 probables for the Twenty20 cricket World Cup to be held in South Africa in September, would be on youth as this format requires young and fit players.

However, out-of-favour opening batsman Virender Sehwag and off- spinner Harbhajan Singh are likely to get a place in the list of the 30 probables.

Sehwag lost his place in the one-day team after the Bangladesh tour, while Harbhajan is out of the side in both forms of the game and has been replaced by Ramesh Powar after the World Cup.

Sehwag has tried to regain his touch in a local tournament in Delhi, while Harbhajan has preferred the English country cricket route to parade his wares and reclaim his wicket-taking abilities.

Both the players have not found a berth in the Test squad for England as well as the preceding one-day offshore ties in Ireland and Scotland.

Among others likely to get the nod, subject to fitness, is young Uttar Pradesh batsman Suresh Raina, who had not played for more than four months because of a knee injury.

Selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar indicated that players, coming back from injuries, such as Raina, needed to ''prove their fitness'' and cited competitions like the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai as vehicles to do so.

Also in the running are left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan and the injury-prone Munaf Patel.

Both the pace bowlers were in the bowlers' and batsmens' fitness-oriented camps in Mysore and Bangalore respectively last month.

The selectors are also expected to give a look-in at the notable performers in the BCCI conducted inaugural Twenty20 national tournament for the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which was won by Tamil Nadu who beat Punjab in the final in April.

The list has to be pruned to 15 on or before August 11, a month before the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.

The selectors will also pick the India 'A' squad for its twin tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya starting later this month.

UNI