India tour of New Zealand: Yuvraj Singh dropped for five-match ODI series, Stuart Binny makes cut

Indian selectors on Tuesday, dropped flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh from the squad for the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, starting on January 19 in Napier. The ODI series will be followed by two Tests, commencing on February 6.

Yuvraj has been in scratchy form ever since he made his India comeback in the ODI series against Australia. He scored 19 runs in four innings, thrice losing his wicket to Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson. His last ODI was at the Wanderers earlier this month where he scored a second-ball duck. Karnataka’s Stuart Binny, son of former Indian all-rounder Roger Binny, will take his place in the ODI squad.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said the selectors deliberated for over two hours before picking the squads for the New Zealand tour. He said the South African tour was discussed and the selection of the squads was “unanimous.” “It is not wrong to say that our performance (in South Africa) was bad. We have analyzed things in a better way, our focus is on 2015 World Cup,” Patel told reporters.

Binny, 29, has played 53 first-class matches for Karnataka and scored 2714 runs at an average of 34.79, besides taking 79 wickets. Another surprise inclusion in the team was Madhya Pradesh seamer Ishwar Pandey, who has been drafted into both ODI and Test squads. Fit-again pacer Varun Aaron, 24, has made a comeback to the ODI squad replacing Mohit Sharma, who failed to impress in South Africa. If he makes it to the final XI of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, it would be Aaron’s first 50-over appearance for India after 2011….

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