Keep Yuvraj and Kaif away from Tests
N Balajhi - 15 July 2002

On Saturday - the day of the NatWest final at Lord's - the power, fearlessness and the exuberance of youth was on show. Those who missed it may have to wait for decades to see a similar act.

What seemed next to improbable for all the cricketing pundits was made possible by two young men who stole the show from a tragic Marcus Trescothick thereby adding to the miseries of Nasser Hussain. More than their talent it was the postive outlook which these two men - Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh - exhibited that ended India's nine- match losing sequence in the finals of tournaments involving three or more teams.

For once, the Indians played like men possessed. The Indian cricket fan has been yearning for such a display for years now and it indeed was refreshing to see the attitude that these young men displayed. This is the kind of mettle which made Steve Waugh, 'Steel Waugh'. Well as Kaif and Yuvraj performed, let us though not show undue haste in blooding them into Test cricket. For starters let us remember that retaining them for the Test series may not really guarantee them a place in the playing eleven.

However, some over-enthusiastic men may act in an unwise manner and reatin them yet. What these decision-makers need to remember is that Test matches are a whole new ball game. Green tops and seaming cherry won't be to the liking of the men wielding the bat. Is it prudent then to launch Kaif and Yuvraj into the Test arena at this point of time, that too in an away tour, when the premier one-day championship is just seven months away?

One is not questioning the abilities of these cricketers. In fact, Kaif has all the credentials to become a frontline Test batsman, though Yuvraj may have to strengthen his defence to excel in the longer version of the game.

It now is time to nurture the ambitions of Indian cricket and lay the foundations for a second World Cup triumph. Nothing can be sweeter than winning the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. For that we need our youth.

Their confidence is currently high as is their resolve too. An unfortunate performance in the Test series may only scar their psyche. They have fought hard to gain this belief. Let us not shatter it with a shortsighted view.

Their day in Test cricket will certainly arrive and that may be just eight months away. One hopes that the BCCI will not let its head rule over its heart until then. Sure, let them assure these men that they are here to stay and have a role to play in fashioning an Indian triumph in the 2003 World Cup. But let them not lose perspective and reward the youngsters with a Test place.

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