Wasim Jaffer expresses disappointment on team selection for WI tour, fires three questions at selection committee

Wasim Jaffer tweets to slam the Indian selection committee.

Team India is on a break for one month and will start their next assignment next month against West Indies. The Men in Blue will tour West Indies for a multi-format series that will begin with two tests, starting on July 12 in Dominica. It will be followed by three ODIs and five T20Is, and the tour will conclude on August 13. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's Test and ODI squads on Friday.

The squad saw some new faces, while some veterans got dropped from the test squad. As a result, the selectors are facing criticism over the team's selection. Former Indian test opener Wasim Jaffer, who is quite active on social media, questioned the criteria of the team's selection and went on to post three questions on the test team selected by the selection committee.

What’s the need for four openers?

The test squad saw two veterans get dropped. Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav didn't get a chance in the test squad, while Mohammed Shami was rested. On the other hand, the BCCI picked Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad and gave them their maiden test calls, while middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan was sidelined once again. Jaffer expressed his disappointment and slammed the selection committee on Twitter.

He asked three questions about the selection criteria based on which the team was selected. First of all, he highlighted the fact that despite having Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, what made the selectors pick two extra openers in Jaiswal and Gaikwad? He also asked that instead of picking four openers for two tests, they could have picked Sarfaraz, who is scoring tons of runs at the domestic level, to strengthen the middle order. Jaffer wrote, "What’s the need for four openers? Instead, they could have picked Sarfaraz as an extra middle-order bat to honour his consistent domestic performances."

Furthermore, he also joined critics to highlight whether the selectors are selecting the test team based on the performance of the IPL. He said that Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal didn't get a chance because they don't play in the IPL. The former test opener also asked the reason for resting Shami because India are already on a one-month break and there was no need for more rest for a rhythm bowler.

Wasim Jaffer tweeted, "Easwaran and Panchal have been doing the hard yards in Ranji and India A, knocking on Test doors for a long time. Just because they don’t play IPL, is it a case of out of sight out of mind? How did Ruturaj jump the queue? Surprised to see Shami rested and that too after a month-long break. I feel he’s the type of bowler that the more he bowls the better/fitter and in the form he gets."