Indian cricket team needs better selectors, feels Yuvraj Singh

Indian cricket team needs better selectors, feels Yuvraj Singh

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Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has claimed that there have been some questionable player selections from the current selection panel over their tenure and that India needs better selectors. Yuvraj was dropped from the Indian team after the 2017 Champions Trophy and never played again.

Yuvraj Singh, arguably one of the greatest white-ball players India has ever produced, has pointed out the exclusion of Ambati Rayudu from India's World Cup squad by saying that having tried him at number four for a year, the team management was 'stupid' to drop him based on his IPL form and play inexperienced players like Vijay Shankar and Rishabh Pant at number four. India had to pay the price as their inexperienced middle-order was exposed by New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal.

"We do need better selectors, for sure. Selectors' job is not easy. Whenever they select 15 players, there will be talks about what will happen to the other 15. It's a difficult job but their thinking in terms of modern-day cricket is not up to the mark. It's my opinion," Yuvraj told TOI.

Earlier, Murali Vijay in an interview said that there was no communication done by the selectors when he was dropped from the Test side. A demoralized Rayudu, after getting dropped from the World Cup squad, also went on to announce his retirement before back-tracking on his decision. Yuvraj believes that the players need to be treated with respect and lashed out at the selectors for their inconsistency.

"I am always in favor of protecting the players and being positive about them. By talking negative about your players and team doesn't show you in true light," he said.

"The character only shows when things are going wrong and you motivate the players. In bad times, everyone talks bad. We definitely need better selectors," he further added.

Yuvraj has also backed Rishabh Pant and has touted him to become a great batsman in the future, despite the youngster getting a lot of flack of late for his shot selection. The former all-rounder feels that dropping Pant from the Test-playing eleven was not a great idea as he is someone who has scored hundreds in England and Australia which is a unique feat. Yuvraj thus feels that there must be good selectors in place that must back the players in their tough times as that is how champion players are made.

"Him (Pant) not playing the Test match was not a great call, somebody who has scored 2 international 100s outside India and scored two 90s against West Indies, I don't understand, his keeping could have been a concern but I think you got to groom your guys better," he said.

"He is a good No. 4, No. 5. Obviously, people don't realise that Rishabh was an opener. He always wanted to open the innings and he would go big, opening. He is not the guy who knows how to rotate strike and then go big. He is trying to do that. That's why, you need to give him time. He is changing his game, we got to give him some time," he concluded

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