Israeli basketball has been short on victories this summer but there has been an abundance of drama.

The latest episode in what has turned into a soap opera is that former captain Gur Shelef is back in the team after apologising for criticism made about his coach, Muli Katzurin, in a Hebrew newspaper.

Shelef hit out at Katzurin's decision to axe his Israel and Maccabi Tel Aviv team-mate Lior Lubin from the national side, and was promptly dumped himself for stepping out of line.

It has emerged that both met on Friday morning, after Israel's participation in the Akropolis Tournament in Athens and made their peace.

Shelef, a Maccabi Tel Aviv player, was then readmitted to the squad but not as captain.

That honour will remain with Yoav Saffar, made skipper after Shelef was kicked off the team.

"Shelef has apologized for what he said, and we have to look forward,"

Katzurin said in a statement released by the country's basketball association.

Shelef expressed his relief.

"I am happy to back in the team," he said. "It's less important whether or not I'm coming back as captain.

"I've learned my lesson and now the most important thing is the success of the national team."

Just how success is going to occur is anyone's guess. Israel haven't this summer in their friendly games looked like a side capable of doing much damage in Sweden in September, when the European Championships will be staged.

Most of their games against teams in the competition have been defeats, and by big margins.

The friendlies haven't meant anything, in truth, but it will be interesting to see how the players respond when everything does count because losses can work against their psyche.

Lubin's exit has effectively meant that 19-year-old Yotam Halperin, the dazzling guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv, will log a lot of minutes at the championships.

Halperin is only the second Israeli in the last 30 years to play for the national team before his 20th birthday.

He is clearly going to be star in the future. Whether he is a star in September against world class opposition remains to be seen.

As for the squad implications of Shelef's return, the group now numbers 13 since Moshe Mizrahi was brought in at the time of Shelef's departure last week.

Mizrahi could be the odd man out when Katzurin trims his unit to 12, the number allowed by FIBA for the championships. Katzurin has already said that all 13 will travel to Sweden.