IND vs ENG: Wasim Jaffer Believes That It Would Have Made More Sense To Make Cheteshwar Pujara India's Captain Rather Than Jasprit Bumrah
Published - 01 Jul 2022, 03:00 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:09 AM
Wasim Jaffer believes Cheteshwar Pujara’s experience as a sportsman and skipper makes him a far better choice than someone like Jasprit Bumrah, who has never led a team in any form of the game.
India chose Bumrah as their skipper less than 24 hours before the Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham after elected skipper Rohit Sharma was disqualified with another positive test on Thursday morning.
Bumrah will lead in a Test match for the first time since the illustrious Kapil Dev. Jaffer claimed that Pujara’s exclusion from the series against Sri Lanka may have contributed to his lack of consideration for the leadership position.
“This (Pujara’s position in the XI) could have been a factor. Giving him the leadership for this one Test may have been a controversial decision because he had previously been dropped and has now been called back. Even in South Africa, I had argued that choosing Ajinkya Rahane over KL Rahul would have been sage. You have won a Test series in Australia thanks to Rahane, “added Wasim Jaffer.
‘I have seen Pujara lead in first-class cricket’: Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer argued that Pujara was a far better choice than someone like Bumrah who has never captained a team in any sport because of his expertise in playing cricket and serving as captain.
“In first-class cricket, I have witnessed Pujara take the helm. He is a respectable enough boss. I believe it would have made more sense to go with him because he has played 90 (or 95) or so Tests,” Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo.
“Bumrah had already served as vice-captain, making his selection as captain apparent. However, given the gravity of the situation and the fact that the series was at stake, I would have been inclined to consider Cheteshwar Pujara.”
“Bumrah has never been the captain. He may not have the expertise necessary to lead in such a test, but you never know. Bumrah has excellent game sense and appears cerebral, therefore he could shock us like Hardik Pandya did, “added Wasim Jaffer.
The fifth Test, the one between England and India that has been rescheduled, will start on July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The Indian team presently has a 2-1 advantage in the series.
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