Sachin appointed vice-captain

Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been appointed vice-captain of India ahead of his side’s one-day series against the West Indies.

The news came as quite a surprise, with Tendulkar out of form, coming off an ordinary series with the bat in South Africa.

Tendulkar, 33, takes over the role from Virender Sehwag who was left out of the four match ODI series starting on Sunday.

Chairman of the Indian selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar said Tendulkar got the nod because of the experience he brings to the side, which would prove vital in the lead up to the World Cup.

“Ideally it’s good to have an experienced player as your vice captain, who is also sure of his place in the 11. That’s the reason Sachin Tendulkar was appointed vice captain so that the team can fall back on him if Rahul gets injured,” he said.

“I offered the post to Sachin and he agreed after giving the proposal some thought.”

Tendulkar served as captain of India in 25 Test matches and 73 ODIs throughout the 90s.