Indian cricket team's first J&K player does not get to play in Zimbabwe series.
India created history by achieving its first 5-0 ODI series sweep away from home after defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets in Bulawayo on Saturday. But it was the non inclusion of Jammu & Kashmir all-rounder Parvez Rasool in the last match that became a talking point.
The issue took a political turn when J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah protested on Twitter. “Did you really have to take him all the way to Zimbabwe to demoralise him?
Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just do it at home?” Abdullah tweeted. “Really disappointed that Parvez Rasool hasn't been given a game in Zimbabwe. Come on BCCI give the young man a chance to prove himself,” he added.
Union minister of state for human resource development, Shashi Tharoor also pitched in.
“Greatly disappointed that Parvez Rasool not playing today. Bizarre selection. Could easily have rested Jadeja&Raina for Rasool&Rahane,” he tweeted.
J&K Cricket Association chairman Mohammad Aslam Ghoni attempted to downplay the issue. “It would have been good if Rasool played but it's up to the team manager and coach to decide who should play.”
Former skipper Dilip Vengsarkar was also critical. “When you have a foreigner as a coach, this happens. He doesn't know the local talent. Foreign coaches depend on consensus and play the same team again and again,” Vengsarkar told dna. “We won the tournament and Rasool could have been given an opportunity. The selectors would have assessed his talent. It is important for young cricketers who have performed well to be given a chance.”
India captain Virat Kohli, however, defended his decision to drop Rasool. “Lots of people who have played these five games have been sitting on the bench for two months or so... It was unfortunate that he didn’t get a game but it just didn’t go according to our plan,” said Kohli.
Explaining why Rasool could not have replaced Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli said, “It's hard to leave someone like Jadeja because he is the type of bowler who can get you wickets at any time. Mishra has been sitting out for a while now so we wanted him to give full five games.”
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