Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at selectors and team management for hampering the confidence of players

Team India is the No.1 ranked Test team in the World. Under Virat Kohli, the Men in Blue have lost just one Test at home. During this time they have walked past almost every visiting team that came to their shores and ensured they went back with their tail firmly between their legs.

On the overseas front, while there have been disappointments, Kohli’s men have displayed their penchant to fight. Under Kohli, India have registered Test series wins in Sri Lanka [2-1 in 2015 & 3-0 in 2017], West Indies [2-0 in 2017 & 2-0 in 2019] and Australia [2-1 in 2018-19]. But such has been the skill and talent of this team that every time they come up short, it is always about “What could have been?” What could have been had the captain and team management made the right selection calls during their tour of South Africa and England?

Despite Team India’s pristine run in Test cricket in the past three and a half years, criticism has galore every time the team-management has made a questionable selection call. Former Indian opener, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar isn’t pleased with the selection procedure of the team management. The former Indian opener lashed out at the selectors quoting that the selectors are hampering the confidence of players with their regular changes to the playing 11.

‘Ashwin should be a part of the Playing 11 irrespective of where the team plays’

Gavaskar quoted the example of Ravichandran Ashwin saying that the off-spinner should be a part of the Playing XI irrespective of where the team plays. For the uninitiated, Ashwin- despite being India’s premier spinner- has found it hard to break into the Playing XI in the recent past. The off-spinner, who is making a comeback in the ongoing home series against South Africa, sat out of the recently concluded series in the Caribbean with Kohli opting to play Jadeja ahead of him.

“You don’t become ICC’s No. 1 Test bowler for nothing. He has the ability to pick wickets anywhere in the world. The team management has to understand this and back Ravichandran Ashwin,” Gavaskar told the official broadcasters during the 1st Test in Vizag.

‘Should have given Vijay another chance’

Gavaskar also went on to cite the example of Murali Vijay and Bhuveshar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar, who was the Player of the Match in the 1st Test at Cape Town last year, hasn’t featured in a Test since then, while Murali Vijay was sent back mid-way through the English tour before getting re-called for the Aussie Test series. Following two failures, Vijay was discarded again.

“I remember last year in South Africa Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up a lot of wickets in the first Test, he really swung the ball but he was dropped for the next Test. Murali Vijay too I believe should have been given a longer run. The selection has to be in such a way that the confidence of the player is not down. I mean there may be communication inside the dressing room which we are certainly not aware,” Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar felt Vijay should have been given a longer run and that the selection has to be in such a way that the confidence of the player is not hampered. 

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