India's chief cricket selector Chandu Borde admitted Tuesday it will be difficult to keep batsman Virender Sehwag out of next week's first Test against England.
"If merit alone is the criteria, Sehwag cannot be dropped," Borde said after retaining Sourav Ganguly as captain for the three-Test series against Nasser Hussain's side.
"The boy has played just two Tests and scored a century in his first, it does not make cricketing sense to keep him out," Borde said. The International Cricket Council has ruled Sehwag ineligible to play the first Test at Mohali from December 3 because of the one-match ban slapped on him by match referee Mike Denness after the second Test against South Africa at Port Elizabeth.
India say the ban was served during the ongoing third Test at Centurion Park, but the ICC has declared the game unofficial after Denness was removed as referee by both teams.
If Sehwag is picked for the Mohali Test, the ICC is certain to declare the match illegal which could force England to pull out of the series. Bureau Report