Sachin Tendulkar

Calcutta: Had the Big Three not opted out of the ICC World Twenty20 meet, there’s a pretty good chance that the senior national selectors would have had a lengthy debate over the inclusion of at least two of them — regular Team India captain Rahul Dravid and his predecessor, Sourav Ganguly.

“It’s tough to say anything definitely, but my feeling is that Sachin Tendulkar alone would have been an absolute certainty for the probables’ list... There could well have been a long debate over Rahul and Sourav,” one of the five selectors told The Telegraph on Sunday.

Speaking on the morning after the 30 probables were picked in Mumbai, he added: “It’s not that Rahul and Sourav can’t play the Twenty20 game, but it’s more suited for youngsters. Sachin isn’t young either, but the way he batted in Ireland (against South Africa) was simply awesome...”

The maestro’s effort in the second ODI (93) was particularly special and he went on to pocket the Man-of-the-Series award. India won 2-1.

While Sachin and Dravid are 34, Sourav turned 35 on Sunday. Dravid’s the one who called the Board to convey that he and the other two wouldn’t like to be considered for the inaugural edition.

Of the three, Sachin is the only one to have played in India’s maiden Twenty20 International, versus South Africa, last December. Dravid wasn’t fit (Virender Sehwag did the captain’s duties) and Sourav hadn’t yet made his comeback.

The Indians won by six wickets.

According to the selector, even if Sachin was among the probables, the captaincy would still go to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

That Dhoni is going to lead has already been reported in these columns. Another wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik, is favoured to be the vice-captain.

The meet, from September 11-24, will be hosted by South Africa. The second edition is in England, in 2009.