Rohit Rajpal to be India's non-playing captain for Pakistan tie

Former India player and chairman of the national tennis federation's selection panel, Rohit Rajpal, was on Monday named India's non-playing captain for the upcoming away Davis Cup tie against Pakistan.

There was speculation that veteran Leander Paes could be considered for the job after the 46-year-old made himself available following pullouts by top players and captain Mahesh Bhupathi.

The November 29-30 contest in Islamabad has already been rescheduled once owing to security concerns raised by India. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) decided to appoint Rajpal at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chandigarh.

"Former President Anil Khanna and incumbent Praveen Mahajan proposed Rohit Rajpal's name and everyone agreed. Rajpal will go to Pakistan as non-playing captain and this arrangement is only for this tie, as of now," an AITA source said.

The AITA has requested the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to shift the tie to a neutral venue and the world governing body is ...