Former India cricketer and commentator Ajay Jadeja, during a discussion on cricketers keeping themselves fresh for franchise leagues by opting out of international commitments, with former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull, took an indirect at Rohit Sharma for the frequent breaks he takes.
- Advertisement -
India have had six different captains in different formats so far. Apart from regular captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain KL Rahul, the likes of Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have also got the opportunity to lead India.
It was because he along with Rahul and other seniors took frequent breaks to manage their workload and stay fresh for the big tournaments.
KL Rahul has led India eight times this year. Dhawan has captained India in six ODIs. He is slated to lead India in the three ODIs in New Zealand so his tally will be nine.
- Advertisement -
They failed to reach the finals of the Asia Cup and were knocked out of the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup. India’s big guns Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were rested from the New Zealand tour after the T20 World Cup.
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja, during a discussion on cricketers keeping themselves fresh for franchise leagues by opting out of international commitments, with former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull, took an indirect at Rohit Sharma for the frequent breaks he takes.
Jadeja and Doull were asked about New Zealand pacer Trent Boult opting out of the central contract to focus more on franchise leagues during the post-match show on Amazon Prime Video after the series opener in Wellington was washed out without a ball being bowled.
“If any young cricketer is not playing for the country, he has the opportunity to go around the world and experience (playing in global T20 leagues). But if somebody is playing for their country and the team needs them and they are away for (playing in) the leagues then there’s a problem, especially in India as we are emotional people.
I know it’s not gonna happen but it’s natural. If I was 22, and I had the opportunity to go around the world, maybe I’d say I want to take a break from the Bangladesh tour or I won’t go on tours which aren’t very exciting. Against the biggest teams in the world, nobody is gonna miss it but it’s the small teams that will suffer. And there are a lot more teams now.
The associate nations are getting better, so you will have more tours and you’ll find more players taking breaks. Not just players, even captains at the moment,” said the former India cricketer with a sheepish look. said Jadeja
Read More: Virat on Instagram: ‘He is everywhere, Even on Water Bottles’
