Former India Opener Wasim Jaffer believes the team management rushed the teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into international cricket, arguing that the decision was influenced more by public excitement and media attention than cricketing considerations.
Jaffer said wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson should have been given a longer rope in the side before India opted to hand the youngster his debut cap.
“I think we rushed Vaibhav's inclusion. There was a lot of media hype around him, and the public was very emotional about seeing him play. Otherwise, I had already said that India should have continued with Sanju Samson,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
Wasim then stressed that Sooryavanshi, despite his immense potential, would have benefited from spending more time around the national team before making his debut.
"Vaibhav had to wait for his opportunity, and when that opportunity came, he could have taken it. He's still very young, and he can learn a lot just by being around the team and watching cricket from the outside," he said.
The former batter also suggested that the constant discussion surrounding the teenager's omission created unnecessary pressure on the selectors and team management.
"It felt like we got carried away by the media hype. Every time Vaibhav didn't play, there was a lot of discussion about it. I just thought he should have been made to wait."
If you were absolutely convinced that Sanju wasn't in good form or wasn't playing well, then you could have taken that decision. But eventually, it felt like you rushed Vaibhav into the team," he added.
The 47-year-old also questioned the manner in which India has handled Samson, highlighting the fact that the Kerala batter was not given enough opportunities before he was left out of the Zimbabwe tour.
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"Then, after giving him three matches, you brought Sanju back. Sanju himself played only one match, and now he's been left out of the Zimbabwe tour. Dropping him from the Zimbabwe tour also seemed a bit strange to me because I'm sure he would have wanted to play," Jaffer said.
Jaffer, backing Samson to stay in the plans for India, said the wicketkeeper-batter deserves a more consistent run in the T20I side.
"As it is, he only plays one format for India. He should be given regular opportunities. I'm sure Sanju Samson will be part of the plans for the next World Cup because he's a match-winner. The way things unfolded really surprised me," Jaffer concluded.
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