Former cricketers raise questions over Mayank Agarwal's omission from Australia tour

The BCCI announced the 18-man squad for the four-match Test series against Australia. While the team seems to have covered all the bases, Mayank Agarwal’s exclusion has raised many eyebrows. After setting the stage on fire in the domestic circuit, the 28-year-old got a call-up for the Windies Test series only to be benched for both the matches and has been dropped now for the tour Down Under.

The former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath is not at all pleased with the move from the selectors. He related his case with Mayank’s while raising some serious questions over the selection committee and sympathised for the Karnataka batsman. In 2008, Virat Kohli was preferred over Badrinath despite consistent performances by the latter and the same has happened with Mayank now.

“I can actually relate to him. He is not at fault. He has been performing and getting runs. He earned his place, did not play a game and now, he is out of the team. I would like to ask the selectors what exactly is the process? Is it just to keep him satisfied that they got him into the side? What are they trying to do here?” Badrinath said while speaking to Sportstar on Saturday.

He also questioned Rohit Sharma‘s selection in the Test squad despite not playing much in the longest format much in the recent times. “We all know that he has not done well in red-ball cricket. Why is he there? He is a different player when it comes to the white ball, you can call him the best opener. In red-ball, he has just not been able to deliver,” the former Tamil Nadu player added.

Mayank should talk to the selectors

Another former Indian cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad felt that Mayank Agarwal has all the right to ask the selectors about his omission and sort the issue as soon as possible. He also added that Mayank should continue playing well and don’t feel rejected after not being picked for the Australia tour.

“Only 15 or 16 players can get selected. It depends what scheme of things the selectors have in mind. It happened with me in 1981 where I missed the Australia tour. I had scored 1,300 runs in Ranji and Duleep. At that juncture, you feel offended or neglected but you have to look up. Maybe this is not enough and you got to get better. You have to compel the selector to select you. If you sulk, the game is over for you,” he said.

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