Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Niranjan Shah says "all the unfit India players will be fit by Saturday" for the second One-Day International against Sri Lanka, at the Madhavrao Scindia ground, in Rajkot.
"I've spoken to Team India physio John Gloster today and he told me that all the unfit players will be fit by Saturday," said Shah, addressing the media persons on Friday morning.
He, however, did not say whether Gloster mentioned anything about any particular player or his fitness.
"I'll speak to Gloster again this evening when he arrives in Rajkot with the Indian team. Hopefully, we'll get the exact picture only after I speak to him once again."
Asked if the BCCI would risk carrying a couple of unfit players to the West Indies for the World Cup, he said the selectors, who are meeting in Mumbai on Monday to pick the final squad of 15, would "definitely go by Gloster's report".
"He is the sole authority to judge the players' fitness. The BCCI and the selectors have to go by his report only and not by the medical certificates produced by the players concerned. The idea is to select the best possible team. An unfit player, howsoever good or great, is always a liability for any team," added Shah.
Shah said he was satisfied with Munaf Patel's fitness.
"He bowled well and picked up a couple of wickets, too, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, in the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka on Thursday. He looked perfectly fit. Had he not been fit, he wouldn't have been picked in the playing eleven in the first place. It's as simple as that," he added with a broad smile.
