Former India captain Kapil Dev is not in favor of bringing another player to the England tour which he feels could be disrespectful to the players already in the squad. He commented on the reports which suggested likelihood of Prithvi Shaw being called up to the squad after Shubman Gill got injured.
India opener Gill has sustained an injury on his left leg and he is expected to take around 8 weeks to recover, which could mean him missing the entire five-match Test series. The team has Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, and stand-by player Abhimanyu Easwaran as the backup openers.
"I don't think there is any need for it. There should be some respect for the selectors too. They have picked a team and I'm sure it wouldn't have happened without their (Shastri and Kohli) consultation. I mean, you have two such big opening batsmen in KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Do you really need a third option? I don't think it's right," Kapil said on the 'Wah Cricket' show on ABP News.
"I'm not convinced with this theory. The team that they've picked already has openers so I think they should be the ones to play. Otherwise, it's insulting for the players who are already in the team."
Kapil wants the team management to respect the decision of selectors who picked the squad for the England tour. He feels it wouldn't be right to discourage players who are already on the tour waiting for their opportunity.
"I want that the captain and the management should have a say, but not at the expense of over-ruling the selectors and say that 'these are the players we need'. In that case, we don't even need selectors. I am feeling a bit odd knowing that something like this has happened because if it has, it demeans the selectors and their role," he said.
"Only Virat and Ravi can say that. I feel that this is a wrong set-up to enter. The players you have backed, you cannot demean them. They are big players and I wouldn't want something like this to happen. No need for any unnecessary controversy."
(With ABP News Inputs)
