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[kban1]

The name of the interviewer is gauravk -- is this the same gauravk who is our fellow blogger ?

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http://ibnlive.com/article.php?id=3919&section_id=5&single=true

Interview with Chandrasekar 

Gaurav Kalra
CNN-IBN

After the dull draw in Lahore, attention has now turned to Faislabad for the second Test between India and Pakistan starting on Saturday. And joining the Indian dressing room for this Test will be the national selector from the South Zone, V B Chandrasekar. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra before boarding the flight to Pakistan, Chandrasekar reflected on the challenges ahead.

Gaurav: What will be your role as a selector on the tour?

Chandrasekar: I guess, we will form part of the team management. This is something that started recently. And I guess, it also adds to the experience of the selector.

Not only are we picking teams at home, we now go there and join the team to find out what exactly goes on in the overseas tours. It would give a good idea as to how the team is functioning away from home. I think, this can help us get a fair idea of what is going on out there.

Gaurav: Team composition is usually left to the touring party — usually the core comprising the manager, the captain, the coach and the vice-captain. With the addition of the selector, would you represent the whole selection committee at this group? Would you represent the views of the whole selection committee or would you make your views known as an individual?

Chandrasekar: No, I don’t. That will automatically make me the chairman of the selection committee. I think, it would be very interesting to be a part of such a committee and the extent of responsibility will also be high. Because, we select teams here and then send them abroad. Now, we also need to go over there and tell them what were the ideas of selecting such a team. And I think, we would be reiterating the same point at the time of selection of a team for a match.

Gaurav: Of course, since you will go there now. Sometimes when teams are sorted out, things do work out smoothly. But here, the composition of the team will be a challenge for the selectors as well. We’ve seen that challenge in the previous Test as well. Do you see it as a challenge? Especially the opening position, might that be a slight concern?

Chandrasekar: I think when it comes to cricketing reason, I’m sure what’s best for the team would be what the team management would be looking at, and I think, we would have to cater to the needs of the team management from that point of view. And a few drills like different opening pairs will always be tried. And I guess that is a part of the experimentation that's going on in Indian cricket at the moment.

And in an overseas tour, I’m sure it’s important to blood a few openers, but I think the guys on the spot are taking some tough decisions and I think that’s the best part of what’s going on now.

Gaurav: You were part of the selection committee that took the decision to pick three openers. Personally, were you a little bit surprised by the choice of middle-order batsmen going up and opening and two of the openers sitting out in the last Test match.

Chandrasekar: Little surprised, yes. But from the outcome of what happened from the 410-run partnership, I think probably it was right and if India had batted first, I think the depth in the middle-order would have been so deep.

I guess, in this somebody was saying that Pakistan has had a knock, but most of the Indians have not. But I think it is the other way round. The Indians haven’t been tested is what I would say. And we know, the depth of the Pakistani batting. I guess for us, it is a little more important that the middle order is quite stable. If they go into a shuffle with the opener, give him a game and drop him, I think it would be unreasonable. So, if somebody gets in, he should get a long rope and I’m sure, part of the team management’s job would be to sustain an opener’s life as well.

Gaurav: You’ve been a former opener yourself and a very successful one for Tamil Nadu and India as well. That is a specialist position, so if someone comes in fresh, like Rahul Dravid did, although he has the experience, it is not something that he has done before on a regular basis. How tough is it for, say, someone like a Jaffer who has been is in good form, but sits out because of that reason.

Chandrasekar: I guess one-on-one, you cannot compare a Jaffer with Dravid there, but it is a tough thing being an opening batsmen. Of late, you would find that it is no longer a specialist job and I think if somebody like Rahul came in and opened and got a 100 in this game, it doesn’t exactly make him an opener.

But if you go back and see, there have been Sehwags, there have been Manoj Prabhakars, there have been Navjot Singh Sidhus. There have been batsmen all through. They have batted at number four in domestic cricket and number four in domestic games. I think, it’s how well an individual is able to adapt and I think it’s a lot skill-oriented.

So, it’s not just about the number of domestic opening batsmen that we have at the moment and we choose from, but I think it’s also about the skill levels, and we hope that a Jaffer or a Gautam Gambhir would come and stabilise themselves in the longer run. But whatever chances are provided, they would have to grab them at that moment as there would be very few to come, I’m sure.

Gaurav: The other situation that might emerge is because of the criticism that the Pakistanis have had over the pitch. We have heard that they might go in for a greenish wicket and if they do that, then India might consider playing three seamers. There has been some talk of that. As a selector, that might be a tough choice to make. If you have to choose between two great spinners of the nature of Anil and Harbhajan...

Chandrasekar: That has happened in the past, and I think going by whatever has happened at the previous matches at Faisalabad, it’s always been a batting paradise and very few matches might have given results there. I don’t think it has helped spinners much. So, if there is a little bit of grass on it to help the Pakistani bowlers, I’m sure we too have to use seamers to make the best use of the surface, which would definitely mean sacrificing one spinner or the other. That’s a part of the strategy and one has to do it. It’s a part of taking the tough decision.

Gaurav: Experts say if the wicket remains as placid as it is then, maybe, India should consider playing six batsmen and five full-time bowlers. Is that something that has crossed your mind too when you look at it from the outside at least?

Chandrasekar: I don’t think even in domestic cricket anybody plays five bowlers today. It was thought of earlier that five bowlers would give you definite results in Test matches, but given the nature what Irfan might be as an allrounder, in the long run, that would be something one can attempt. But at the moment, it looks more like six plus four plus one.

Gaurav: Lots of things for a selector to think about on a tour like this one, because there are so many issues to deal with…

Chandrasekar: I’m going to enjoy it and I always look at it as a part of my experience to learn more things and just be a part of the team management and help them out wherever possible.

Gaurav: Thank you.

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[gouravk]

no