Sachin Tendulkar today turned down the offer to become the
captain of India's Test cricket team just two days before his appointment was
to be formally announced here.
The veteran batsman, who had initially agreed to take over the mantle after Rahul
Dravid stepped down, has informed the Board President Sharad Pawar
and national selectors about his decision.
A highly-placed BCCI source said Tendulkar had given
his views to the President and selectors.
"I cannot say what prompted him to take such a decision
but it is some personal reason. All I can say is that he does not want to be
the Test captain at this stage," the source said.
The selectors will meet here on Thursday to announce team for
the remaining three one-dayers against Pakistan and also the new Test captain
with Mahendra Singh Dhoni now emerging as the front-runner for the hot-seat.
India has been without a Test captain ever since Dravid abruptly
quit the post after the team's successful tour of England.
With Tendulkar now out of the equation the 26-year-old Dhoni,
who has been impressive in the Twenty20 and ODIs, appears to also take up the
responsibilities in the longer of version of the game.
One of the selectors said on condition of anonymity that Dhoni
now stood a good chance to be the Test captain.
"Tendulkar was the preferred choice but now it will be
Dhoni, who has done a good job in one-dayers as well as in Twenty20," he
said.
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