Constant changes in team are making players feel unsafe, reveals Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa has stated that there is a lack of sense of security amongst the players in the Indian team due to the constant changing and chopping of the lineup. He further added that there is a dip in the performance of the players in crucial games as they are not sure of their places.
India’s failure in the ICC events to lift the trophy has been a hot topic in the cricket world. The team reached the knockout of the showpiece event multiple times but were not able to lift the silverware. Many former cricketers have shared their views on India not winning any global tournament in recent years and Robin Uthappa has also joined the list with a crucial perspective. He pointed out that the constant changes in the Indian team have been the root cause of the problem and they should be provided with a sense of security regarding their spot on the side.
“I think there is a lack of sense of security among the players in the team. There have been constant changes in the team for a long time, when a player does not feel safe, he always remains with the mindset of saving his place in the team,” Uthappa stated to PTI.
“I think it is important to give a sense of security to the players. What we are seeing is, for the last few years, too many changes are going on. And in crucial matches, their performance dips because they are not sure of their place in (the) team for the next match.”
India recently played in a Test series against Bangladesh and dropped Kuldeep Yadav in the second match in spite of producing a remarkable performance with the ball. Even after taking eight wickets in the fixture, he was replaced by Jaydev Unadkat who returned to international cricket after 12 years. Uthappa opined that such a move give the wrong message to the young players in the national squad.
“Kuldeep was ‘Player of the Match’ in the first Test against Bangladesh and he was out of the team for the next match; it doesn’t give (send) a good message,” he explained.
“Yes, you can explain things to Kuldeep once but this gives (sends) a wrong message to the young players that even after getting the ‘Player of the Match’, your place in the team is not assured.”
Uthappa is currently playing in the ILT20 for Dubai Capitals and has been scoring runs with consistency. He has registered scores of 43 and 79 so far in the tournament. The former Indian cricketer shared his excitement to be a part of the league.
“I am thrilled to be playing competitive cricket for the first time in six months. It’s (ILT20) a good tournament. Some of the world’s best players are playing here,” he concluded.