Sehwag, Pathan included in World Cup team despite indifferent form

Mumbai, Feb 12 (UNI) Despite their indifferent form, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan were today named in the 15-member Indian World Cup squad which otherwise did not spring any surprises.

Gautam Gambhir, Ramesh Powar and Suresh Raina missed the bus while Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthick got the national selectors' nod, the same with Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh and Munaf Patel in the team announced here, a day before the ICC deadline to submit the squad expires.

The team was pruned down from 30 probables announced last month.

''It's all about performances and that will be our focus,'' said captain Rahul Dravid, who was joined by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah and chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar.

''We will be looking for contributions from each player.

But the six or seven key players will have to do something extraordinary and will be backed by the rest,'' Dravid explained.

He emphasised that Sehwag had the ability to face different situations and the team would be looking forward to the Delhi batsman returning to his old form.

''The ball is now in his court,'' Dravid said.

Sehwag endured poor form for an unusually long period this season and was dropped for the West Indies series.

''It's a huge event for Sehwag,'' added Vengsarkar. ''If he is asked to either open the innings or play in the middle order I'm sure he is capable of coming good.'' Dravid said, ''Some players obviously would feel disappointed.

But I'm sure there are challenges ahead for them and they will get opportunities in the future,'' he reasoned.

Shah revealed that R P Singh and Suresh Raina will feature in the remaining two matches against Sri Lanka in the ongoing one-day series, in place of Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh.

''Irfan and Yuvraj are fit but we are just taking precautions,'' explained Vengsarkar.

Yuvraj was out of action for nearly four months while recuperating from a knee ligament injury he sustained during the Champions Trophy in October last.

Shah said the World Cup team would assemble in Mumbai on February 26 and leave for the West Indies on the night of February 28.

The Squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-captain), Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, M S Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Ajit Agarkar, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.

UNI