People who matter in Indian cricket should give Wriddhiman Saha a fair chance in Tests, feels Syed Kirmani.
“It’s unfair that (Rishabh) Pant will be playing in all formats. When somebody is not in form, you should try out the man who has already played and performed for the country. And that person is Saha. He should be given a fair chance in Test matches,” the former India wicketkeeper, in the city on Tuesday for a promotional, told The Telegraph.
Saha’s long absence from the international circuit, owing to his right-shoulder surgery last year in Manchester, gave Rishabh Pant the opportunity to represent India in the longer format. But barring two centuries against England and Australia, the left-hander hasn’t been consistent enough.
Even in the ongoing tour of the West Indies, his only significant contribution so far is the unbeaten 65 in the third and final T20I. As for Saha, he hit a crucial 62 during the India A tour of the Caribbean earlier this month.
“Pant, no doubt, is very talented and I am confident he’ll have a very long career, which is only possible if he starts learning quickly… Now, if you keep on giving one particular player chances at a stretch, he’s bound to perform in one innings.
“Having said that, you need to do the similar thing with the other player too. Unfortunately, Saha has not been given a fair chance since his comeback. So, I feel that when they (selectors) had already said that Saha is fit for Test cricket, he ought to be given a fair chance. They can then see how he has progressed.
“You cannot judge someone based on just one or two games. Coming back to Pant, he’s certainly gifted, but he should be groomed nicely and properly in the domestic structure. Once he has shown his consistency and the patience required in batting, only then he should be given a chance.
“You cannot give him such a long rope despite his current failures with the bat. Besides, he’s slow behind the wickets and doesn’t have the right technique that goes with a genuine wicketkeeper.
“He has to develop that and needs to talk to a well experienced wicketkeeper to find out what wicketkeeping is all about,” the former chairman of national selection committee said.
Speaking of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kirmani feels there shouldn’t be any talks of the former India captain’s retirement. “Nobody should talk about Dhoni’s retirement. Let him take a call.
“You need an icon like MS Dhoni to be a role model for the youngsters. He should’ve been playing in all formats. Unfortunately, he retired from Tests. A player of Dhoni’s calibre is always required for India,” Kirmani said.
“Look at the glory that he has brought for the country. So, I think one should just let him take a call on his future.”
Asked about Virat Kohli’s captaincy, Kirmani added: “It’s all about team effort. Every individual has his own way, so there cannot be comparisons.
“Kohli is a very aggressive and positive captain, who has been leading very well. I think it’s the combination of the entire team that puts in its best effort to make the captain a standout figure…”
