Mumbai, Mar 1: The non-inclusion of Virender Sehwag in the team for Asia Cup took a curious turn today with a media report claiming that the opener had asked the BCCI for rest because of back spasms.
“I have back spasms. I need some rest. I have never kept my team management in the dark as far as fitness is concerned. My injury is open for everyone to see,” Sehwag was quoted as having said in ‘Midday' newspaper.
However, this flies in the face of what the chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said yesterday while announcing the team.
Srikkanth said that Sehwag had been rested on fitness grounds and when a reporter followed up with some questions, the former India captain lost his cool, asking the scribe to “shut up”.
If Sehwag had asked BCCI for rest, Srikkanth could easily have disclosed that to the media.
Moreover, Srikkanth told a TV channel last night that Sehwag had a shoulder injury, while as the newspaper quotes the opening batsman as saying that he had “back spasms”.
“I have never hidden my injury before, or fitness problems. Even my shoulder operation was planned after consulting the then coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni,” Sehwag said.
The newspaper claimed that captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher told the selectors that Sehwag was seeking rest after a streneous tour of Australia.
Later, Srikkanth called up Sehwag, who told him that he wanted rest but would be willing to tour Bangladesh if the selectors insisted.
