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NEWS Cricket World Cup 2007>Pathan will not go to World Cup if he's unfit: Vengsarkar 23rd Feb 2007 22.21 IST By Agencies Selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar today issued a stern warning to Irfan Pathan , saying the struggling speedster would be dropped from the World Cup squad unless he proved his match fitness in Sunday's Deodhar Trophy game in Ahmedabad. The left arm bowler had declared himself fit from his sore shoulder injury, but Vengsarkar made it clear that Pathan's performance for West Zone against Central Zone two days from now would be watched with keen interest by the selectors.
"Irfan has not played for almost a month after picking up a freak shoulder injury. He has played only one match (against the West Indies at his hometown Vadodara on Jan 31). He then missed the entire series against Sri Lanka. "The Deodhar tie offers the best chance for him to get back among the wickets and prove his fitness," Vengsarkar said at a World Cup promotional function by tournament sponsors Johnnie Walker in Mumbai. Vengsarkar also said that only the selectors will be there to judge the youngster's fitness and not team physio John Gloster. As per current indications the opening Deodhar clash would be watched by Vengsarkar and fellow selectors Bhupinder Singh Sr and Ranjib Biswal. The chief selector's warning comes five days before the team's departure to the West Indies and the tie against Central is also Pathan's only tie to convince the selectors that he's match fit. The team members would assemble in Mumbai on February 26 before departing for the Caribbeans on February 28 night. Vengsarkar said there would be no instructions from the selectors to West captain Amol Muzumdar on how to use Pathan as "West have a match to win." Vengsarkar also said that any of the teams which make it to the Super Eight stage of the World Cup can win the mega event. He also felt that the retirement of Shane Keith Warne , who did not play one-day cricket since testing positive for a banned drug in the run-up to the 2003 edition in South Africa, the ageing of Glenn Donald McGrath and the fitness problems to Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds have made holders Australia vulnerable. "There are no favourites in one day cricket. The team that plays well on a particular day will win. The tournament is open for everybody. All the teams in the Super 8 stage will have equal chance to win the World Cup. "I feel that Shane Warne's retirement and the ageing of Glenn McGrath, who are match winners, and the injuries to Lee and Symonds have hit Australia hard. McGrath is still there, but at the age of 37 we have to see how effective he's at the World Cup," Vengsarkar said. Also View In-Depth Coverage: Cricket World Cup 2007 Team Page: India Team Page: Australia | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
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