Vinod Kambli furious about Mumbai cricketers not being selected for Caribbean tour
Former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli lost his cool after the after the Indian selectors did not pick Ranji champions Mumbai’s trio of Aditya Tare, Shreyas Iyer and Siddhesh Lad for the four-match Test series in the Caribbean. The 44-year-old left-handed batsman took to Twitter to slam the selectors and the selection process. The Sandeep Patil-led selection panel picked the 17-man squad which will travel to West Indies in July for the Test series under the leadership of Virat Kohli. The squad has three Mumbai cricketers including Ajinkya Rahane, who has been promoted to vice-captain, batsman Rohit Sharma and uncapped pacer Shardul Thakur.
The BCCI posted the squad list on Twitter.
#TeamIndia for #WIvInd Tests - @imVkohli to lead 17-member team pic.twitter.com/55oSfwp25R
— BCCI (@BCCI) May 23, 2016
However, the former Mumbai cricketer wasn’t too pleased with the choices the selectors made. Only one cricketer from the Ranji team made it to the Indian squad which was rather shocking for Kambli, as his tweets suggest.
Tare,Shreyas Iyer. Lad . should have been given a chance as they have done well in domestic Cricket.
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
Mumbai been Ranji champion only 1 player in the test team apart from Rohit n Rahane. What about shreyas Ayer n tare pic.twitter.com/JGsFtrCIdC
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
He was clearly furious with the selectors as he further tweeted.
Selectors the Teams u have selected is simply not digestible.Thats why Jimmy Amaranth calls u all jokers pic.twitter.com/QxmGN6ymZq
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
He also questioned the inclusion of wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the Test team.
On what basis pujara jadeja saha walk in.Pujara n saha no performance In domestic.pls tell me selectors. Cont pic.twitter.com/HjsskP28uO
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
The Mumbai-born cricketer also questioned the selection pattern with six pacers in the squad.
These men have no idea.what kind of selection is this Test n 1 day.Test team.Pujara,Jadeja,Saha & 6 fast bowlers. pic.twitter.com/iAtGZixe2X
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
Kambli, who has represented India in 17 Tests and 104 ODIs, then went on to accuse the selectors of destroying careers. He was once touted as one of the most talented players in the country but then faded away after a good start to his international career.
I am really pissed off the kind of selection is going on from the time I entered n departed from the team.They have destroyed careers
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016
Shreyas Iyer is the highest-scorer in this year’s Ranji Trophy with 1321 runs while Mumbai’s Akhil Herwadkar is second in the list. Shardul Thakur, who picked up 41 wickets was Mumbai’s highest wicket taker.
Kambli also tweeted that there should be more players in the Indian team from Mumbai as the side has won more Ranji Trophy titles than any other team.
Yes if it was in my hand I would have done it.. Mind it how many times we have won Ranji title is anyone close https://t.co/v42x5Nt2PH
— VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) May 23, 2016