Inconsistencies in selection have made me immune
February 23, 2006There was a time when I used to reflect on the composition of the Indian test team. There used to some basis for team selection then. The test squad chosen to face England is the latest in a series of many whimsical selections.
Picture some recent inconsistencies in selection -
Famously choosing Ganguly to play as an all rounder in the team.
Dropping/choosing him regardless of match performances.
The treatment of Yuvraj, Kaif. (In and out of the XI, team)
Choosing Parthiv Patel above Dinesh Karthik as reserve wicket keeper for tour of Pakistan. This despite Karthik not doing much wrong.
And we haven’t even gone to the bowlers yet.. The first two tests in Pakistan were on flat tracks. No bowler should be judged based on that. The third test at Karachi was a failure for Zaheer Khan. Ajit Agarkar wasn’t even included in the first XI for that test. Without given a proper run, the two players were dumped.
I am finally immune to the selection of the test team it seems, at least for the time being. The last straw was the exclusion of Gautam Gambhir. Gautam Gambhir hasn’t had an impressive test career so far if we exclude stats versus Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Despite this the selectors decided to back him for the tour of Pakistan. He didn’t get the opportunity to play even 1 test in Pakistan. So why should he have been unceremoniously dumped? Why should a player loose his test place because of failures in limited overs cricket in between two test series?
Also, why announce teams on Day 1 of tour games. Gambhir is batting at 33. Imagine how devastated he must be feeling at this juncture. This is a repeat of what happened recently. Ganguly was batting in the deciding third test versus Pakistan. The one day team was announced while the test was proceding and Ganguly was left out. Why not wait for a day so that the match at hand is over until absolutely unavoidable.
The issue is not about a specific player being included or excluded. It is the larger issue of inconstencies in selection which are being displayed.
Want to bring in young players? I am all for it. But chopping and changing with no method, no meaning is not the way to go about things. It is still highly unlikely that India will loose to England but it wouldn’t take away from the poor methods applied to achieve end results.
