Mumbai: Five Indians made it to the 30-member probables list for both Tests and ODIs to take on world champions Australia in the Johnnie Walker Super Series in October.

The six-member International Cricket Council selection panel, headed by Sunil Gavaskar, also included Anil Kumble and V. V. S. Laxman in the Test probables’ list. Regular Team India captain Sourav Ganguly, however, was missing from both the lists.

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh ? whose action is under the ICC scrutiny ? and ICC’s best young player of the year Irfan Pathan were the five Indians who made it to both the lists announced here by Gavaskar in the presence of special invitee Pathan.

Interestingly, Shoaib Akhtar who has been ignored by the Pakistan Cricket Board for both the India and West Indies tours, finds a place among both Test and ODI probables.

Gavaskar said the probables had been selected on the basis of current form, their past records against Australia in Australia while the balance of the team had also been taken into account.

Gavaskar also said that new names could be added to the list following eye-catching displays before the list is pruned to 20 in July.

The captain and vice-captain are also to be announced in July while the final squad of 14 for the Super Test and 13 for the one-day series would be announced by the middle or late August, Gavaskar added.

One of the criterion employed by the selection panel, as per the brief given to it by the game’s world governing body for the game, was that players suspended by the ICC under its Code of Conduct should not be considered for Tests or ODIs as the case may be.

Asked whether Sourav’s name was ignored for the three Super Series one-day ties to be held indoors at Melbourne’s Telstradome on October 5, 7 and 9 because of his six-match suspension, ICC’s Brendon McClements clarified that the Indian captain has the tri-series in Sri Lanka in July-August to complete his suspension before the Super Series.

The six-day Super Series Test is to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from October 14-19.

?There were some players like current West Indies skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul and young Zimababwe captain and wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu who merited our attention because of their fine displays, but had to be left out,? Gavaskar said.

Apart from Gavaskar and Lloyd, Michael Atherton, Richard Hadlee, Jonty Rhodes and Aravinda de Silva were the members of the selection panel. (PTI)