'He Only Rejects': Gambhir Slammed For 'Not A Selector' Remark On Shreyas Iyer
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Atul Wassan criticized Gautam Gambhir for his comment on Shreyas Iyer's omission from India's Test squad for the England tour, arguing that coaches influence team selection.
Former India cricketer-turned-commentator Atul Wassan criticised Gautam Gambhir for his remark on Mumbai cricketer Shreyas Iyer's omission from the country's squad for the five-Test tour of England in the summer.
A reporter asked Gambhir about the subject, and the men's head coach tried to avoid it with a curt, 'I am not a selector'. Wassan took an objection to it, saying that coaches have a significant role in these decisions and taunting Gambhir for being the one who 'rejects' players instead.
'He doesn't select, he only rejects," Wassan said on the Bails and Banter show on the OTTplay. 'The coach has a role in team selection, and selectors also listen to them before naming the squad," Wassan said.
However, Wassan also backed Gambhir for having the team he desired, saying he deserves that freedom whether the selection works or not.
'If he (Gambhir) has been given this position, then I think he deserves to go with his feeling, whether it's right or wrong," Wassan added.
Iyer last played Test matches for India against England at home in February 2024. He was dropped midway through the series due to poor form and a back issue.
Since then, he has only participated in international white-ball formats. However, his performance in the most recent Ranji Trophy season was impressive: he scored 480 runs at an average of 68.57, including two centuries, as Mumbai reached the tournament's semi-finals.
His place in the Test 11 was taken by the likes of Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan. For this England tour, his name was doing the rounds again because seniors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had both vacated their spots.
In the press conference announcing the squad, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was also asked about his absence despite his IPL and white-ball form. Agarkar gave a more detailed answer.
'Shreyas Iyer had a good One-Day series," Agarkar said. 'When the reporter nudged him about Iyer's domestic form, Agarkar said, 'He did well in domestic but at the moment there is no room but if he keeps doing well, I am sure he will find a spot back in test cricket at some stage," he added.
Shreyas will lead Punjab Kings in the second Qualifier for IPL 2025 against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
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