“Wonderful Opportunity Missed”: Sunil Gavaskar Left Angered after India’s Test Team Selection For West Indies Tour
The selection of the India’s Test team for the West Indies tour has angered legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar. India will go to the Caribbean islands between July 12 and July 25 to play a two-match Test series with prominent Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Cheteshwar Pujara were left off of Team India’s roster for the two-match Test series against the West Indies that begins on July 12. While Delhi Capitals pacer Mukesh Kumar received his first India call-up, Jaydev Unadkat kept his place.
Navdeep Saini was also added to the team in the most extensive manner. The team is mostly the same, with the core consisting of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel, despite the addition of some inexperienced players for the two games.
Sunil Gavaskar Left Angered after India’s Test Team Selection For West Indies Tour
“The World Test Championship is gone. We missed out over there. Now the next big thing really is the (ODI) World Cup in October and therefore I would have wanted for the big boys to be given a complete break from Test cricket. Now look only at the white-ball cricket, not red-ball cricket. Give them a complete break who are certain to play World Cup. They have been playing non-stop cricket for 3-4 months. They barely had a break,” said Gavaskar.
“Had they given break to every senior player and played a few more younger players, that would have done Indian cricket a world of good. But that sadly hasn’t happened. I think a wonderful opportunity was missed,” he added.
Sunil Gavaskar enraged at the senior Indian players’ lack of a break in the ODI World Cup year
In a rare interview with India Today, Gavaskar further expressed his displeasure with the team’s selection and claimed that the best players in India are not getting enough rest in time for the crucial ODI World Cup 2023, which will be held in India in the months of October and November.
“Give them a break, give them a complete break. Look, they have finished on the 12th of June, give them a break till 20, 25th of July. I mean no Test matches, no travelling either. Now apparently this team is going to go for warm-up matches from the 1st or 2nd of July. So how many day’s break have they had? Barely 20 days? Why not give them a 40-day break,” Gavaskar lashed out on India Today.
“Give them a complete 40 day break so when they comeback for the one days and the new season totally fresh,” he further added.
Gavaskar advocated for the Ranji Trophy Performers like Sarfaraz Khan
The former captain further claimed that the choice disregarded the Ranji Trophy and the players that compete in it. The batter’s accomplishments in the domestic format should be acknowledged, according to Gavaskar, who used Sarfaraz Khan as an example. Otherwise, there would be little sense in participating in such competitions.
“Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring at an average of 100 in all past three seasons. What does he have to do to be picked in the squad? He might not be in the XI, but you pick him in the team,” Gavaskar said.
“Tell him that his performances are being recognised. Otherwise, stop playing Ranji Trophy. Say, it’s of no use, you just play IPL and think you are good enough for the red ball game as well,” the former India captain concluded.
The West Indies series begins a new chapter for the Indian team, as they prepare to go the distance in the WTC 2023-25 cycle.
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