Hanuma-Vihari

Picture Credit: BCCI

With India’s recent loss against England in the final rescheduled Test at Edgbaston, several questions have been raised about the team selection and the quality of players. The Men in Blue were in a commanding position but still had to suffer defeat. Now, former India fast bowler has demanded the selection committee and the coaching staff to look for new players who are in better form and want to prove a point.

Karsan Ghavri, while speaking in a recent interview, wants the board to look beyond Shubham Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Shardul Thakur and look to bring in Sarfaraz Khan and Suryakumar Yadav. 

"I think it’s time we looked beyond Hanuma Vihari and Shardul Thakur. Shubman Gill is a good future prospect, but where is his consistency?" Ghavri said.

“Sarfaraz Khan and Suryakumar Yadav need to be drafted into the Test team as soon as possible. They are the future stars of Indian cricket. Our next Test series is against Bangladesh in November. Don’t think they are pushovers. We have to play against them with our best resources," he continued.

You cannot ask for frequent breaks: Ghavri

Ghavri also called out star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for taking an increased amount of breaks in the ‘name of workload management.’ He said, “How much rest do Virat and Rohit need? How long did Virat bat in the Test match? Playing for India should be their number one priority. You should shoot for advertisements during the IPL, not while playing for India. You cannot ask for frequent breaks in the name of workload management.”

Virat Kohli is a big name, but where are the runs?: Ghavri

The former India player added more criticism towards Virat Kohli and has affirmed the need to use merit as the only measure for team selection. He said, “Players should be selected on merit. Virat has made India proud on many occasions, but drop him if he’s not in form.” 

“It’s as simple as that. Bring in the guys who are in form. Virat Kohli is a big name, but where are the runs? How long can you play based on your past reputation? He’s still stuck on 27 Test centuries. Meanwhile, Joe Root has now surpassed him despite lagging behind until recently.”