They don't tell you when they drop you from the Indian cricket team, reveals Pragyan Ojha
Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha on Saturday lashed out at the Indian team cricket selectors for their lack of communication on picking and dropping players from the Indian team.
In an Instagram Live session hosted by Shanivi Sadana on Sportskeeda, Ojha was asked about his emotions on being dropped from the Indian cricket team despite a 10-wicket haul in his last Test appearance, against West Indies in 2013.
In response, Ojha shared his two cents on the issues with the system by citing his own sudden ouster from the Indian Test team.
“I am afraid that is not how it happens in India [selectors telling Ojha about him being dropped]. It just happens. You see the team and if you’re not there, you’re not there," the former spinner added.
Back in 2019, ace Indian cricket team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also criticized the Indian team selectors and made an open statement on how he felt the selectors were not thinking in terms of modern-day cricket.
Apart from Yuvraj, Ashish Nehra more recently slammed the Indian cricket team selectors' chopping and changing of players over the last two years.
No guarantee of being picked for the Indian cricket team
Ojha's last Test match for India was also famously Sachin Tendulkar's 200th Test match, and despite picking a five-wicket haul in each innings, Ojha was never picked to play for the Indian cricket team after that match.
“There is no guarantee that you will get picked if you perform well, whether it be the national team or the state team. Your job is to perform and selection is never in your hands. Taking care of your own skills is in your own hands and one should concentrate on that," Ojha further added.
The left-arm spinner, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Kanpur back in 2009 played 24 Test matches for the Indian cricket team and picked 113 wickets, slowly establishing himself as one of the best spinners in the Indian team.
However, Ojha was not picked to play for India after the Test against West Indies, but he continued to play in the domestic formats and made appearances in the Indian Premier League.