The constant chopping and changing in the Indian squad has left many players bemused. But, it wasn’t until these past few weeks that the some of them have spoken about their frustrations with the selection committee.
On Thursday, Kedar Jadhav joined Murali Vijay and Karun Nair in speaking out against the MSK Prasad-led panel’s indifference towards them and the lack of communication that left them uncertain.
Murali Vijay as far as hinting that the uncertainty had affected his ability to score runs consistently. Vijay, who was dropped in the middle of the England series was blunt in his assessment of the selectors’ decision making his unhappiness quite apparent.
“Neither the chief selector nor any other person spoke to me in England after I was dropped from the third Test,” Vijay told the Mumbai Mirror. “None of them have spoken to me since. I did have a conversation with the members of the team management in England and that’s it.”
Nair too was blunt in his remarks after being asked of the selectors’ and the team management’s move to leave him on the bench through the five Tests in England.
“No, we haven’t had any conversations. Nothing at all,” said Nair after being asked to verify if he was spoken to by the selectors.
“It is difficult, but I haven’t gone forth and asked anything, but yeah, we haven’t had any conversation,” he told Cricbuzz.
Prasad refuted the claim, adding that he did speak with the player, however, he failed to explain the exact nature of the conversation.
Jadhav is the latest to join the bandwagon after being left out of the squad for the team’s three remaining ODIs against West Indies.
“I did not know this,” said Jadhav when asked if there was any communication over his selection for the remaining three games against the West Indies.
“Let’s see. You are the first one to tell me this. I need to see why they have not picked me. I don’t know what the plan is now that I am not there in the team. Probably, I will be playing the Ranji Trophy,” said the 33-year-old.
Now, selectors don’t need to have a chat with each and every player after dropping him but at least the regulars need to be kept in the loop.
Someone like Jadhav had to be dropped due to an injury he picked up while playing for India and since they have decided not to pick him for the last three ODIs against the West Indies, the least they could have done was have a quiet chat.
At the least, it is just poor man-management. At its worst, it points to the beginning of a divide between the players and the selectors. Both scenarios, India would do well to avoid.