Sheldon Jackson lashes out at BCCI for ignoring Saurashtra players

The wicket-keeper batsman was part of the Saurashtra unit that ended up as the runners up in 2018-19 Ranji Trophy where they lost to Vidarbha in a tightly-contested game. Although Cheteshwar Pujara was available towards the backend of the tournament, Jackson emerged as the highest run-scorer for Saurashtra with 854 runs in 11 matches at an average of 47.44. 

Even though that feat was quite something, he wasn't selected in the squads for the ongoing Duleep Trophy. Although his team-mates Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Jaydev Unadkat are part of Duleep Trophy, and playing in the final, they failed to find a spot in the India A team that is supposed to take on South Africa A in two unofficial Tests later this month. That seems to have hurt Jackson as he questioned India's selectors over the absence of players from his domestic side.

“Saurashtra has played the ranji trophy finals this year, and surprisingly still no player even after performing at all platforms, don’t get picked for the A series. so is the importance of playing the Ranji trophy finals zero,” Jackson wrote in his first Tweet before following it up with another couple of tweets.

“Or is that small state sides arnt taken seriously coz in the last 5 years @saucricket has played 3 finals under Sitanshu Kotak's coaching, (we have some very good performers since recent years with the bat and ball. ) but not got the deserved credit.

“I am told not to question, but I strongly believe that we represent this beautiful organisation and association and we as players surely deserve to know why, and where we lack, or else our carriers are just to going to end wondering why. selectors should be transparent,” he added.

Earlier in the past, Jackson has played one game for India A in a four-day match and was part of the Duleep Trophy only once, in 2016-17, when he ended the tournament with 368 runs in five innings at an average of 122.66. His last appearance for India A in a 50-over match was in a warm-up game against an England XI in January 2017, where he scored 59 off 56 balls.