Sandeep out because of injury, to miss WC: Brasa

Days after Rajpal Singh replaced Sandeep Singh as the skipper, India`s chief coach Jose Brasa today hailed the latter as the best player of the team and said that he was removed from the post because of a back injury.

Pune: Days after Rajpal Singh replaced Sandeep Singh as the skipper of the Indian Hockey team,

India`s chief coach Jose Brasa today hailed the latter as the best player of the team and said that he was removed from the post because of a back injury. "Following the team`s tour to Europe and Canada, we had decided on Rajpal and Sandeep (as the two candidates in mind for the post) but till the day before yesterday we weren`t sure whether he would be fit to go to Salta," Brasa told reporters here today. Rajpal on Friday replaced Sandeep as the skipper of the 22-member Indian team for the eight-nation event in Salta, Argentina from December 6-13, the winner of which will qualify for next year`s Champions Trophy. "Sandeep Singh is the best player in the team. He gives the team a huge advantage with his strength and coordination. He is the best drag-flicker in the world. He can be the best player in the world if he wants to. It`s a pity that he is injured (after returning from Canada)," he said. "Its a back injury. He won`t be able to play in the World Cup but maybe he will comeback for the Commonwealth Games," the 58-year old Spanish national added. According to Brasa, Sandeep underwent an MRI scan yesterday, following which doctors have advised him 10 days bed-rest. "He went to the test yesterday. Doctors said that he cannot get out of the bed for ten days. He cannot even get up from the bed on his own," he said. Brasa felt that the burden of captaincy had affected Sandeep`s game. "During the tours while Rajpal and Dhananjay Mahadik were the skippers he was doing well. In one of the games he converted four out of five flicks. But once he was made skipper after the match, he did not score any goals," he said. "The pressure of captaincy has affected his game. It has affected his short corners," he added. "An important thing as a skipper is the capacity to lead the team. But before that you have to have the capacity to perform on the pitch." Asked whether Sandeep`s absence will weaken the team`s defence, Brasa said, "we have other good players to take his place. Its okay we are going to miss the best player in the world but we can`t cry over that. We are going to win with or without Sandeep." "India has enough players. There are many players to win the tournament. Names are not important, what is important is the light blue shirt of India," he added. The Indian team is currently training at the Balewadi Sports Complex here, from where it would leave for New Delhi on November 22. The team will leave for Madrid on November 23 for a one-week training-cum-competition tour en-route Salta. India will play their first group match against New Zealand on December 6 before taking on China (December 8) and Belgium (December 10). The final will be played on December 13. Bureau Report