The Sunday Express has now learnt that Kirsten, who is arriving in India on May 30, the day of the selection, has asked for a comprehensive fitness report of all the players. The priority, informs a member of Kirsten’s support staff, is to have a pool of players who are fit enough to endure the full season ahead. The coach is keen to have an interaction with India’s bench-strength and take a stock of the arsenal at his disposal.

May the devil get its due, the IPL has done its bit for the pool that Kirsten is keen on. A few new faces have cropped up during the last month and some forgotten faces have managed to get back into the spotlight. MS Gony and Ashoke Dinda can be part of the pace bench which seemed vacant some time back due to injuries and burnouts. And with old-timers like Ashish Nehra and L Balaji too getting their rhythm back after injuries, the selectors won’t be tongue-tied when it comes to naming fast bowlers. As for the batting department, names such as S Badrinath, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao might once again figure in selection committee meetings.

But does this pool have depth? And do T20 performances really qualify players for the Test and ODI bench? The jury is out, or like most in the country, it has been too busy figuring which teams will reach the last four of the IPL.