India cap should not be given based on one good IPL season, it should be earned: Wasim Jaffer

Former India batter Wasim Jaffer reckons that one good IPL season is not the right parameter of awarding the India cap to any player and that they should also perform consistently in the next two-three domestic seasons as well.

In the last couple of years, a few players including Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer, etc. have been drafted into the Indian squad on the basis of their IPL performances. Unfortunately for them, they get dropped from the side after string of inconsistent shows during the course of their journey.

Among this lot, only middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh have gone on to successfully establish themselves as regular members in India’s white-ball formats.

Let them be fully ready: Wasim Jaffer

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Wasim Jaffer wrote, “Selectors don't need to pick whoever does well in their 1st IPL season. Let them perform consistently for 2-3 seasons in FC too. Let them be fully ready. That's a reason we confuse ourselves with selection dilemma. Ind cap shouldn't be given easily & quickly. It should be earned”.

Notably, a few players like Sarfaraz Khan and Prithivi Shaw who have been showcasing consistent performances at the domestic level are constantly getting ignored by the national selectors. It now remains to be seen what will be the roadmap prepared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the national selection committee unanimously with an eye on the next year’s 50-overs World Cup at home.

India have failed to win a major ICC tournament after the 2013 Champions Trophy and since then, they have made the semis and finals of the marquee competitions where they eventually ran out of fire and brimstone during crucial matches.