New Delhi: Former India football captain Baichung Bhutia on Wednesday said he had not expected to be picked as a probable for the World Cup qualifier due to his injury, but was surprised that the new coach or the team management did not even call him to find out about his progress and his fitness levels.
In an interview with CNN-IBN, he said: "What surprises me is that they have not really checked. The new coach Armando Colaco knows that I have not played for the last nine-ten months because of the injury, but at least I do expect a call. Not just me but there are some six-seven senior players who have been dropped, who have played for over a decade now.
"When a new coach comes it's not surprising (to have a new team). He will have his own ideas and would like to have his own set of players. But I don't see anything wrong in picking up the phone and giving a call and checking on the players and their fitness. I did expect a call, just to see how I am and how my injuries were. Though I know that even if I am called to play for India now, I could not play."
Asked if the All India Football Federation should have stepped in over team selection matters, Bhutia said, "There is a new coach and a new management and they will select the team. And I don't think you can completely blame the federation. Federation can't be calling the players because you are not in the side. The team is made by the coach at the end. The federation does not make the team."
However, he was disappointed with the AIFF at having given Colaco a short term.
"They should have given Colaco a longer period of contract. What I hear is only three-four months of contract, which is not fair for any new coach to come in because when a new coach comes in he brings in new ideas, new system of play. And for any player, even the best of the players in the world, to fit into the new system does take time. I hope the players do adjust and get along with the system.
"If the AIFF was only thinking of three months then I think Savio Madeira who was with the team for five years and who has a great domestic record should have continued after Bob Houghton. So it's not fair for either Savio Mandeira or Armando Colaco. He should have been given a longer period. If it was just a shorter contract then the assistant coach who was with the national team should have continued."
Bhutia was also sceptical of Colaco's idea of turning around the team and make a fresh start as they prepared to play the United Arab Emirates in the World Cup qualifiers in July.
"The new Indian team that has been selected you have seen - half of the squad is new. So when half of the squad is new it is as good as a new team. So for a new team, even at the club level where you play for years and years you don't get it right. So you can imagine what will happen in a national team. When you are playing a good side like UAE you need to give him more time.
"You don't build a team during a world cup qualifier, which is against the UAE because that is a big big match. UAE is one of the best teams in Asia. We played against them in a friendly and lost 5-0 when seven of the senior players were out of duty due to injuries. So when you are going for a game against UAE you have to be very well organised, tactically and also the quality of their players are the best in Asia. You don't build your team in such matches."
The former captain was of the view that teams need to built up from the junior level and not the other way round.
"For the seniors there is only World Cup Qualifiers and Asia Cup. You only play two tournaments. For juniors to build you have pre Olympic, Asian Games, SAF Games, SAF Cup. You have the tournaments for the younger lot, but seniors play fewer matches. So if it's building for the future then starting off with the WC qualifiers is a wrong start.
"You need to start with SAF Cup and play against Maldives and Bangladesh and get the confidence, not just throw the young lads against the big teams like the UAE and South Korea. Psychologically if they have a bad result, then it does effect on the longer run," added Bhutia, who is looking to regain fitness and be back playing football in the next two to three months.
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