World Cup 2019: 18 shortlisted players to be tested before finalising Indian squad

We have shortlisted 18 players and we will rotate them before selecting the final World Cup squad, said chief selector MSK Prasad

Chief selector MSK Prasad on Friday briefed how the final 15 for the upcoming World Cup would be finalised. He stated that 18 cricketers have been shortlisted for the mega event and the BCCI is in talks with their respective IPL franchises to manage their workload ahead of the mega-event in England.

There have been discussions that India's World Cup hopefuls' workload management should be monitored during the IPL so that they remain fresh during the May 30-July 14 extravaganza.

“We have shortlisted 18 players and we will rotate them during the World Cup. As far as workload management is concerned, it is yet to be worked out. There are discussions happening on that front and we will let you know,” Prasad told reporters after selecting various squads for the home limited-overs series against Australia which starts February 24.

Whether the franchises will agree to rest top India players on their roster after paying millions to have them has been a subject of debate.

When acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary was asked this question, he admitted that the franchises have diverse views on the matter.

“If your question suggests that the franchises will be wary of resting players, it is an issue we will deal with considering it's a World Cup year. There have been views from franchises and I am not going into specifics,” he said.

He also urged the franchises to keep the national interest in mind.

“And also considering the fact that all the franchises are Indian franchises, the interest of the country, of doing well at the highest international level, is paramount,” Choudhary said.

While the selectors announced two different teams for the first two and last three ODIs, the side that is expected to travel to England will be the one for the last three games of the series. The engagement with Australia starts February 24 with the first T20 International in Visakhapatnam, while the World Cup is scheduled from May 30.