There was a lot of speculation when South Zone selector Roger Binny arrived in late for the selection meeting. There were some rounds going on then as he had recused himself as his son was in contention for a berth. Roger Binny, who was a part of the victorious 1983 World Cup, made it clear that he was delayed only due to a “technical snag” in his flight.
“I was stuck at the Bangalore airport as we were offloaded from the plane. There is nothing more to it,” Binny clarified on yesterday.
A BCCI official made it clear that Binny wasn’t a part of the discussion when it came to considering Stuart Binny’s case. “He stayed ‘out of the room’ like he used to do always, as we deliberated on his son’s inclusion,” he said. Roger has in the past himself said that he would walk out of the room when his son’s name would be debated in the committee.
Roger also admitted that he was ‘proud’ that his son would play for India in the World Cup. “Anyone would be proud,” he told.
The only question is whether the “junior Binny” would be a part of skipper MS Dhoni’s scheme of things. With merely six ODIs under his belt so far, Binny is the most inexperienced member of India’s World Cup team. A haul of six for four against Bangladesh is his best performance and also the best figures by an Indian bowler.
Roger and Stuart would thus become the first father-son pair to play for India in the World Cup, and the third overall (Lance and Chris Cairns, Don and Derek Pringle and Chris and Stuart Broad being the others) to achieve this unique feat.