Changes in Ranji team raises question

Two more changes in the State team for the last two Ranji Trophy Group-A Super League matches against Mumbai and Gujarat has raised many eye-brows. According to Orissa Cricket Association, medium pacer Bibhudutta Panda and opening batsman Natraj Behera have been included in the 15-member revised team in places of all-rounder Samir Mohanty and reserve wicket-keeper Subhrajit Sahu. Orissa will play their sixth round match against group leaders Mumbai at Cuttack or Bhubaneswar from December 12 to 15 and then take on Gujarat in the last round clash at Cuttack from December 18 to 21. Led by Test discard Shiv Sundar Das, Orissa are now placed sixth in the eight-team group-A table with nine points from five outings. The latest changes in the team, especially the dropping of Subhrajit Sahu has raised eye-brows. Though being the second wicketkeeper of the state under-22 side, Sahu was included in the Ranji team for the fifth round match against Delhi, ahead of first-choice Ansuman Gope and senior team`s reserve stumper Priyabrata Pradhan. Both Sahu and Pradhan, however, have been axed before they could a single match. With a player earning around Rs 1.40 lakh per Ranji match, the question being asked by the cricket fraternity is whether monitary consideration playing any role in selection of the second stumper? ORISSA TEAM: Shiv Sundar Das (capt), Bikash Swarup Pati, Niranjan Behera, Subit Biswal, Pravanjan Mullick, Haladhar Das (wk), Debasis Mohanty, Basant Mohanty, Dhiraj Singh, P Jayachandra, Sukanta Khatua, Paresh Patel, Bibhudutta Panda, Natraj Behera, Alok Pradhan. Chief coach: Venkatpathy Raju Coach: Abakash Khatua.