Dravid

MUMBAI, India, CMC:

RAHUL DRAVID has been retained as India's captain for this summer's tour of Bangladesh but sweeping changes are expected to be made to the team's composition.

Following a meeting with Dravid and several other stakeholders to review India's wretched World Cup performance, an Indian board official said yesterday the selection committee had been instructed to pick a young team for the tour.

"We have instructed the selection committee to send a young team to Bangladesh with an experienced captain," N. Srinivasan, the Indian board's treasurer told reporters. "All of us are very disappointed that the team was knocked out in the first round and the captain and coach admitted that the whole team was responsible for the loss.

"But it is not the end of the world. We have to move forward and I am sure we will do well in future. It's a sport after all and there will be wins and defeats.

"By retaining Dravid as captain, we want to send out a signal that there is no cause for panic."

Former Indian spinner Ravi Shastri has been appointed coach/manager for the Bangladesh tour while Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh have been chosen as the bowling and fielding coaches, respectively.