Kuldeep Yadav's coach Kapil Pandey is unhappy with Yadav’s repeated omission from India's Test XI and said that the wrist-spinner doesn't deserve to be warming the bench.
After being overlooked in Australia Kuldeep Yadav was expected to play as a second spinner to partner R Ashwin in the first Test match between India and England, which India lost by 227 runs.
But the team management surprised everyone and went in with Shahbaz Nadeem who was drafted into the squad on the morning of the first Test-match in place of injured Axar Patel.
Referring to the same Kapil Pandey, who is Kuldeep Yadav's coach for the last 17 years, said that in his coaching career of 20 years he has never seen a player making the XI overnight.
"These players are not able to extract spin off the surface because they are just one or two Tests old, we can’t blame them. I am in coaching for the past 20 years, I have never seen players making the playing XI overnight," Kapil Pandey told Sportskeeda.
Pandey further said that team management is treating Kuldeep Yadav badly and are not looking at his numbers.
"Kuldeep Yadav is continuously traveling with them, suffering, yet they are not giving him a chance. There goes a proverb as ‘Ghar ki murgi daal barabar’ – so you are not trying to understanding him, you are not looking at his numbers, you are treating him like a normal cricketer."
Kapil Pandey tried to find the rationale behind the decision. He added that Kuldeep could have been a better bowler than Washington Sundar on that pitch given his excellent Test and first-class record.
"In this series, the coach and captain played Washington Sundar because they felt he will partner Ravichandran Ashwin better. Only they know the reason behind this selection. Virat Kohli can dissect this logic, head coach Ravi Shastri also can explain it.
“But I feel Kuldeep Yadav is a bowler who can be played in any match, and should be played in any match. Because he is someone who has 24 wickets from 6 Tests and has never taken less than four wickets in domestic cricket,” said Kapil Pandey.
Pandey further questioned head coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli on their treatment of Kuldeep Yadav and said that players except the wrist-spinner are given repeated chances to prove themselves.
"If he slightly underperforms even in one match, they sideline him. On the other hand, the rest of the players are given so many chances. You are including the player who is not in the team, who hasn’t got preparation. Where is the greatness of the captain and coach? The player who has been regularly practicing with the team is not getting a chance," he concluded.
Kuldeep Yadav last played a Test match for India back in January of 2019, where he picked up a five-wicket haul against Australia in Sydney.
(SportsKeeda Inputs)
