Players like Cheteshwar Pujara will be recognized and respected only if they fit in all three formats: Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer, a colossus of Indian cricket, called time on his career recently and though he has a domestic record that is envious to many, it seems his international cricket could have been something different, had it not coincided with the fab five of the Indian team. Jaffer ended with the most matches, most runs, and most centuries record in Indian domestic scene.

He managed to play 31 Tests and two ODIs for India in the 2000s and even scored two double hundreds, one against the West Indies and one against arch-rivals Pakistan. But with the growing stature of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Jaffer just didn’t get the chance to mount a comeback to claim his place back, once he lost it.

Jaffer felt that not only him, but even the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman didn’t get their due recognition only because they were typecast as Test match or long format players, at a time when limited-overs cricket, especially the T20 format was on the rise.

“I think I had a lot of chances. I came very close to those chances. But unfortunately, the comeback didn’t happen. This happens with most cricketers, not just me. But to be honest I have taken all that in my stride. I am a firm believer in destiny,” he told Cricket.com in an interview.

Lot of players like Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman didn’t get their value: Wasim Jaffer

Jaffer believes that with the rise of the Indian Premier League, the players who performed in the domestic circle got sidelined and didn’t get their due credit, “I think time has changed. Even in my time, I feel a lot of players like Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman, I don’t think they got their value. A player playing with them in a Test match knows how important those players are. But you know we have to go with the time. A lot of importance is given to T20 cricket,” he added.

He felt that in today’s age, a player needed to adapt themselves to all formats of the game and needed to have all the arrows in their quiver of skills. One just cannot survive playing Test cricket, or just T20 cricket. “You will be recognized and respected only if you fit in all three formats. I am not saying Pujara is not respected, but then obviously he is going to play only Test cricket and no other format,” he added.