Laxman determined to make one-day comeback

Even as the national selectors persist with youth in India's flourishing one-day setup, VVS Laxman, axed from the ODI squad, still hopes to make a comeback, especially for the World Cup in the West Indies next year.

"Yes, you feel really disappointed, because I still feel that I have a lot to contribute in both versions of the game," he told the Indian Express. "In 2003 and 2004, I had a very good run in ODIs and even after that, it was not bad, but yes, not as consistent as I would have liked. But suddenly, you find yourself out of the one-day scheme of things. I was looking forward to doing well in the 2007 World Cup, especially because I missed the 2003 World Cup (in South Africa). Since then, if you see my record, it has generally been very good. I had even improved on my strike rate, which was always a problem."

Laxman has been out of favour with the selectors in the one-day squad since the tri-series in Sri Lanka last August, where he played two matches. Since then, the team management have been intent on blooding youngsters like Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao, at the expense of seniors like Laxman, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. Laxman pointed out that a bit of experience in the middle order would be invaluable, especially with the World Cup in mind.

"The team requires some experience," he said. "It's good that a lot of youngsters have been given an opportunity and they have done well. That's the way it should be. If the bench strength is strong, then automatically the team's success will be higher, which is showing."

When asked for an honest assessment as to why he was being ignored, Laxman said that the main talking point was his fielding and running between the wickets, though his batting abilities have never been in doubt. He maintained that he is not such a bad fielder as often made out to be but was still working hard at impressing the selectors.

"They're not talking about my batting because they know my batting is up to the mark even in ODIs. If they see a change in my fielding or my running between the wickets, I'm sure that they'll give me a chance to play.

"I'm definitely not the quickest, but I'm a safe fielder, especially catching and even out-fielding."

Laxman didn't feel he was being treated badly by the management and said that Greg Chappell, the coach, reassured him that there may still be a place for him in the one-day side. He added that Chappell was honest enough to pick players solely on merit, and the performances of all the youngsters have justified his plans.

"A year back he clearly told me that they're trying various combinations and I still fit into the one-day scheme of things, which he maintains. He doesn't say that I'm out of the team. He's giving opportunities to a lot of players who have to show their class, and they're delivering. If they were not delivering, he would have probably recalled me. He's looking for match-winners. He's not discarding anyone."

Laxman admitted he had mixed feelings when denied an opportunity for a comeback after Sachin Tendulkar was forced to withdraw due to injury. "I may not be fitting into their [team management's] scheme of things and that's why probably, even when Sachin was injured they didn't call me," he said. "They called for Robin Uthappa. I was expecting at that time that I would be called, and I was preparing myself for being there. But then they called Robin, and he's done well."