India, Sept. 2 -- India national cricket team has somehow reached a point where an asterisk has become part of team selection. The BCCI's 15-member squad for the Afghanistan T20I series contains four of them - Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana - all listed as "subject to fitness clearance". The series does not begin until September 13, yet the selectors have chosen to announce a squad that comes with a built-in disclaimer. But why? If these players are fit, pick them. If they are not fit, leave them out and bring them in once they clear the required tests. It really should not be this complicated.

The bigger issue is that this is no longer an isolated occurrence. India have spent a considerable part o...