Madhya Pradesh fast bowler, Ishwar Pandey, has been selected for the national squad for both the ODI and Test match tours to New Zealand in January and February.
This represents a maiden international call up to the Indian squad for the player. Pandey, will be joined in the ODI squad, by Karnataka all-rounder Stuart Binny and Jharkhand quick Varun Aaron.
Pandey is rewarded for his performances in the Ranji Trophy, where he was the leading wicket taker in the 2012-13 season, taking 48 wickets at an average of just over 21 apiece, and where he has continued to show excellent form in the current campaign, with a further 30 wickets in eight games, at just over 24 per wicket, with a best return in an innings of 8-84 against Railways in Indore.
Although not blessed with raw pace, bowling in the mid 130kmph, Pandey is tall by Indian standards, and uses his height to great effect, obtaining extra bounce from good length deliveries.
Binny has previously received a call up to the India A squad that toured South Africa, but the tour to New Zealand will be his first selection for a senior national squad.
The Karnataka all-rounder bowls at a medium pace, and scores quick runs from a middle-order position. Binny, whose father was a member of the World Cup winning team in 1983 and is currently a national selector, will give India a better balance in their bowling attack in New Zealand’s seamer friendly conditions.
Varun Aaron played the last of his four ODI’s back in December 2011, during the home series against the West Indies, since when he has been plagued by injury.
Left out of the tour to Australia in 2011-12, the bowler who delivers at over 140kmph, he returned for the 2012 IPL, but suffered a back injury, and was sidelined for 15 months.
A slight change to his bowling action, has helped to reduce the stress on his back, and he has completed five four-day matches for Jharkhand since November.
