Sachin not on the tour to Sri Lanka by choice, Master Blaster to focus on Test cricket: Srikkanth

Sachin Tendulkar is not on the tour to Sri Lanka, by choice, said selection committee chairman K. Srikkanth according to a report in The Hindu. The batting great made a conscious decision to focus on Test cricket in order to extend his career, feels Srikkanth.

He said, “Sachin Tendulkar is not available; he will be starting off with the New Zealand series. He obviously would like to extend his career. He will focus on Test cricket in a big way and must be aiming at the England series, followed by Australia,” adds The Hindu report.

"Sachin obviously would like to extend his career. He's looking at Test cricket in a big way. I'm sure he must be aiming at the England and Australia series. It's going to be a long season ahead and Sachin is spacing it out very well," he said, according to a report in Hindustan Times. The former India opener explained why Virat Kohli was retained as MS Dhoni's deputy. "The idea is to have some continuity and to groom with the future in view."

Asked about Yuvraj Singh’s future following his recovery from lung cancer treatment in the US, the selectors chairman replied, “Yuvraj won the World Cup for India, so there will always be a place for him when he is ready. The fact that he is practising shows a positive mindset.”

Meanwhile The Times Of India reports that opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan returned to a 15-member Indian cricket squad after recovering from injuries. Sehwag, Zaheer, along with young pacer Umesh Yadav, had sat out of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March due to fitness issues. While Sehwag was nursing back spasms and a shoulder injury, Zaheer and Umesh too had niggles.