IND vs NZ: Rishabh Pant Has Been Struggling, Sanju Samson Has Been Coming Up With Consistent Performances – Danish Kaneria Feels ‘Liking & Disliking’ Culture Exists In India

Former Pakistan National Cricket Team leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who has been very vocal about his support for Sanju Samson, believes that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter is not getting a consistent run of chances because of the “liking and disliking” culture in team selection in India.

Samson has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket, but he is not getting a permanent place in either T20I or ODI team. Rishabh Pant, who hasn’t been much successful in limited-overs cricket despite getting a long rope, occupies the wicket-keeper’s position in the team across all three formats and many have called for Samson’s inclusion in the white-ball team over Pant.

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In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Kaneria slammed the Indian team management and said that, just like in Pakistan, the “liking and disliking” culture in team selection exists in India. He said:

“While Pant has been struggling, Sanju Samson has been coming up with consistent performances. He did well against South Africa but was not picked in the T20 World Cup squad. There were some protests as well. I have been saying from the start that Samson is a fantastic player. His skills are so good.

“We talk about liking and disliking in Pakistan. Something similar seems to be happening in India. Teams are being created based on liking and disliking in India as well.”

There is injustice happening with Sanju Samson – Danish Kaneria

Kaneria feels that the team management is doing an injustice to Sanju Samson by not providing him with enough opportunities to showcase his talent at the international level. He said:

“There is injustice happening with Sanju Samson. The number of chances Rishabh Pant is being given … he has not done much in T20I cricket. Whichever captain comes in has this thought process that Pant is a dynamic player who can change the flow of the game. He has been tried at all numbers, but nothing has worked.”

The 41-year-old also spoke about stand-in T20I captain Hardik Pandya’s comments on Samson in which he defended the wicket-keeper’s exclusion. Kaneria said:

“When Pandya was asked about Samson’s exclusion, Pandya said that he is in the plans, and there is time to give him chances. The question is not about time. The thing is, will his form remain so good throughout? Having been snubbed for the T20 World Cup, he will be having that desire to prove a point.”

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