Sunil Gavaskar has questioned India’s team selection and slammed the team management for not giving the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishwar Pandey a chance in Wednesday’s dead rubber against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
Promising fast bowler Ishwar Pandey has been part of the squad that failed to win a single match on the New Zealand tour and the Asia Cup, but hasn’t had a look in, while Pujara hasn’t played an ODI match since the Zimbabwe tour last year.
“Are you worried that Cheteshwar Pujara will score runs so that your favourites who are not consistent might have to make way?” Gavaskar asked on Star Sports. “Are you worried that Ishwar Pandey will take wickets, and again some of your favourite bowlers might not be certain of their place in the team, what are you worried about?”
Gavaskar was also vocal about the fact that an unchanged team will ‘breed inconsistency’. “The only thing that comes to my mind is that there is a worry and there’s probably a fear that if these guys perform well, what will happen to our favourites in the team.”
“This is what breeds complacency, guys know, kuch bhi karoon, team main hoon (whatever I do, I’m in the team).”
Virat Kohli defended the decision to name an unchanged team saying that there is a need to be ‘patient’ with the side as it is undergoing a ‘transition phase’ in the ODI format. Virat was upbeat that the team will be able to turn around the present situation : “We surely possess the talent, but we will ahve to wait for the experience to come”.
Indian team won the encounter against Afghanistan by 8 wickets and bow out of the Asia Cup.
