With Shubman Gill being likely to be flown back home from UK after sustaining a shin injury, the Indian team management is keen on availing the services of Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal, who are currently on the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka.
According to a PTI report, however, chief selector Chetan Sharma doesn’t seem to be on the same page as the team management.
See Also: Wasim Jaffer picks injured opener Shubman Gill's replacement
Questions are being raised over Abhimanyu Easwaran’s selection as a standby player for the England tour despite his disastrous 2019-20 Ranji season and an equally dismal A tour of New Zealand.
"Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the entire Test series in the UK with shin splints that will take minimum three months to heal.
"The team's administrative manager, at the end of last month, had sent an e-mailed requisition to former pacer Sharma asking for two more openers to be sent to the UK," a senior BCCI source privy to developments told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
As per the report, Chetan Sharma hasn’t paid much heed to team management's requests despite knowing the extent of Gill's injury.
Amid the development, it remains to be seen if the Indian think-tank put in a formal request for sending Shaw and Paddikal to BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, who is also the convenor of senior selection committee.
"The BCCI president hasn't yet received any formal request about sending Shaw and Padikkal to the United Kingdom. They are in Sri Lanka for the white ball series but obviously after it ends on July 26, both can be flown in. But I think, team management wants them to join before entering the bio-bubble in Durham," the source said.
When asked what if the team management specifically asks for Shaw, the official said: "Let them put forth an official mail and then it can be taken forward. Also Prithvi is an integral part of the white ball team in Sri Lanka now and his focus is fully on that tour. You already have 23 players in UK, including three specialist openers, even if we discount Easwaran."
Speaking to PTI, a former national selector, who has had a role in creating India's bench strength, said Shaw is miles ahead of Easwaran and he should have been in England in the first place instead of Sri Lanka.
"In terms of quality Easwaran and Prithvi can't be even compared. Prithvi is miles ahead of Easwaran in terms of sheer talent and don't forget he has already scored a Test hundred. He has been in great form of late.
"But then he should have been in England in the first place and not in Sri Lanka," the ex-selector said.
"But you can have a counter-argument that all the runs he scored have been in white-ball cricket and he hasn't had any chance to show that he is back in form as far as red-ball game is concerned.
"Look if you haven't picked Prithvi right away then picking him now will send a signal that Easwaran was a wrong selection. That (Easwaran) kid will also end up losing confidence. Devdutt is destined to be a big star if things fall in place and even if he is not sent now, becoming an all-format star is just a matter of time for him," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
