BCCI Shortlists 18 Players For Cricket World Cup: MSK Prasad

After announcing the Indian squad for the upcoming series against Australia, chairman of the national selection committee, MSK Prasad on Friday revealed that 18 players have been shortlisted for the upcoming ODI World Cup and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in talks with cricketers' respective Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to manage the workload.

The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya etc are considered sure picks for the mega tournament to be held in England from May 30 to July 14.

And the workload management has been one of the hottest topics especially considering the cricketers' participating in the IPL, which starts on March 23. There are reports of ongoing discussions between the BCCI and the IPL franchises to better manage workload for the World Cup hopefuls' during the cash-rich T20 tournament.

"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.

(With PTI inputs)