Indian cricket selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar said the decision to appoint Sachin Tendulkar as vice-captain was due to the need to have an experienced man to fall back on in the absence of captain Rahul Dravid.
“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,” said Vengsarkar.
Virender Sehwag, who was the vice captain before, was left out of the squad for the first two ODIs against the West Indies to be held on January 21 and 24.
Vengsarkar brushed aside talk that this was the first step towards giving back the team's reins to Tendulkar after the World Cup. “I can't say what happens in future. Cricket is a game of ifs and buts,” said Vengsarkar.