Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his frustration over Some players are skipping games to rest. He reminded them, playing for their country is their duty.
At 74, this cricket great has achieved over 10,000 runs and 34 hundreds in his 125-Test journey. Gavaskar, who loves Indian cricket deeply, didn’t hold back his irritation at players skipping matches to have downtime.
Ishan Kishan recently dropped out of the South African tour, claiming mental tiredness, while Virat Kohli is expected to miss the whole England Test series for personal reasons.
In his Sportstar piece, Gavaskar urged players to be faithful to Indian cricket.
“If only these players remembered that they are what they are because of Indian cricket. Their name, fame, wealth, and even millions of fans are because of Indian cricket. So, some loyalty to Indian cricket and their millions of fans should be considered before taking casual leave from the game.”
Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar also rubbished the concept of workload management by saying:
“For far too long, some players have taken Indian cricket for granted and taken breaks on a whim, with this silly workload reason as an excuse. All they show by that is an unhealthy disregard for Indian cricket and that they are keeping themselves above Indian cricket.”
Sunil Gavaskar
They gave Mohammed Siraj a break for the second Test in the current series against England. This was after he bowled just 11 overs in the first match.
Rumors also circulated about resting Jasprit Bumrah for the third Test. This comes after he bowled nearly 58 overs in the first two games.
“Most of these players are certainties” – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar feels that players taking sabbatical are aware that their place in the Indian squad is assured whenever they return.
Instead, the famous hitter advised that players who take time away from the game be notified that their selection upon return is at the discretion of the selectors.
“Most of these players are certainties and know that even if they don’t play a game or two, their places will be secure, and they can come back immediately if they make themselves available. Oh, for a selection committee that will get up and tell them, ‘Ok, take a break, but then, don’t expect to be picked when you feel like it. We will decide if we need you or not.”
Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar stated that players who require workload management even after taking lengthy breaks between Tests should not be selected.
“If, at the highest level of the game, a player, be a batter or a bowler, is not fit to play all five Test matches with the generous week-long breaks between the second and third Test matches and between the fourth and fifth Tests, then he should not be picked for any of the Tests and a young, hungry-to-make-a-mark player be brought in.”
Sunil Gavaskar
The second and third Tests of the present India-England Test series are separated by eight days, with a similar break between the fourth and fifth games.
With the series level at one apiece, both sides will tread the field for the first time since February 5 for the crucial third Test in Rajkot, which begins February 15.