Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar is behind the major shake-up in Indian cricket, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed in an interview. Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, has said that Tendulkar had recommended Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the captaincy and suggested that youngsters should be included in the World Cup-winning Twenty20 squad instead of “players of his generation”. Pawar also told PTI in the interview that Rahul Dravid had dropped hints during the England series last year that he did not wish to remain captain, a decision that he finally announced after the series. “Rahul had told me he could not concentrate on his game and requested me to find someone else. Some of the selectors wanted Sachin to lead and I conveyed it to him,” Pawar said. “But Sachin said, ‘Please don't do this'. I asked then who should lead the side and he said ‘give it to someone like Dhoni'. He said ‘give Dhoni the opportunity. He has excellent relations with the teammates'. I told him I would not interfere but would definitely convey it to the selectors.” Pawar said that it was on Tendulkar's advice that youngsters were given an opportunity in the Twenty20 squad, which went on to win the World Cup in South Africa last September. “I was in England when we were playing them. Sachin met me and suggested ‘I know you don't interfere with the team selection but you please tell the selectors not to include players of my generation in the Twenty20 squad'. He said ‘my generation is not fit for Twenty20, so give opportunity to the youngsters',” Pawar said. “Now who would come and say ‘don't induct us', when that means losing a few lakh rupees? I think we are fortunate to have players like Rahul (Dravid), Sourav (Ganguly) and Anil (Kumble). Their commitment is unquestionable,” Pawar said. Pawar also praised the leadership skills of Kumble, during the racism row involving Harbhajan Singh in Australia, and Dhoni, during the Twenty20 World Cup and the CB Series. “Dhoni as a captain has done extremely good. He can motivate and has a good equation with other players. He is also cool (under pressure),” Pawar said. Kumble, Pawar said, displayed great maturity during the controversial Test series in Australia. “I would say Anil Kumble has been remarkable as captain. He is a good motivator and his behavior was impeccable both on and off the field. In true sense of the term, he was an ambassador of the country and we are proud of the way he handled the entire issue,” Pawar said. Dhoni, Harbhajan fit India Test team vice captain Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan, meanwhile, passed fitness tests on Friday ahead of the Test series against South Africa starting next week, the BCCI said. Dhoni, also the limited overs captain, had a finger strain after playing in all matches on the Australia tour where India lost the Tests 2-1 and then beat the host 2-0 in the one-day tri-series final. Harbhajan had a hamstring injury. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla will join the 14-man squad as the third specialist spinner after left-armer Murali Kartik suffered an ankle injury during a domestic tournament. The first game in the three-Test series begins in Chennai on Wednesday. Five ICL players barred Five overseas players who have signed for the rebel Indian Cricket League Twenty20 competition have been denied registration to play English county cricket this season. A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said applications for registration from Wavell Hinds (West Indies), Johannes van der Wath (South Africa), Andrew Hall (South Africa), Hamish Marshall (New Zealand) and Justin Kemp (South Africa had been rejected. __
