"Turning A Blind Eye": 1983 World Cup-Winner's Big Accusation At Ajit Agarkar, BCCI After South Africa Shock
Former India cricketer Madan Lal did not hesitate to criticise the BCCI selection committee after India's 0-2 Test series defeat to South Africa.
- Madan Lal accused Ajit Agarkar and the BCCI of selecting players mainly based on their IPL performances
- "At times, I kept wondering that if you are going to pick players based on their IPL performances," he said
- It seems like they are turning a blind eye towards the premier tournament," the 1983 World Cup winner added
India suffered a disastrous 0-2 Test series whitewash to South Africa recently, marking the second time in just over a year that they've been clean swept in home conditions. The Indian batting lineup failed to put up much resistance in either game, with only one batter managing a half-century in the series. Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winner Madan Lal has seriously questioned the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) selection committee in the wake of India's defeat, blasting it for picking players based on IPL (Indian Premier League) performances.
"I got the impression that these players are not serious about Test cricket anymore. I would call it the IPL effect, where the mentality is to hit every delivery for a six or a four," said Madan Lal, in an interview with Sportstar.
Lal criticised the selection committee, which is led by Ajit Agarkar, in their choice of players for Test cricket.
"At times, I kept wondering that if you are going to pick players based on their IPL performances, then what's the need for playing the Ranji Trophy. That's your ultimate platform to find players who can bat for long, but it seems like they are turning a blind eye towards the premier tournament," said Lal.
Lal's criticism comes amidst a number of proven performers in India's first-class system, such as Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwarn and Rinku Singh, not being given a long run with the Test team.
However, while Lal did criticise the selection, he did not put the entire blame on head coach Gautam Gambhir.
"It's a collective failure. It's easiest to sack the coach. Yes, he has made mistakes, but putting all the blame on him is also not fair, because at the end of the day, the players, too, have made mistakes. The head coach and the players are equally accountable," said Lal.
India Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir