All top players should represent their state teams in Vijay Hazare: UP coach Sunil Joshi

Former Team India spinner Sunil Joshi has been associated with cricket closely as a player, coach, and selector. The 53-year-old former Karnataka cricketer, who is the UP coach now, wants to do his best for the game in the country.

In the World Cup year, Joshi feels Team India have the home advantage to win another title. In an interview, the bowling all-rounder, with 800 plus wickets in domestic cricket in a 16-year career, shares his opinion about Team India.

Excerpts:

How important is the upcoming domestic season when India will host the World Cup in October-November?

For me, every domestic season is important, but being the World Cup year, the upcoming season is very crucial for Team India as this is their best chance to win yet another ICC trophy on home turf. I believe that all the possible players of the team for the World Cup, including all the top guns, should represent their state teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy so that they can prepare well on spin-friendly pitches. If you don’t practice on your wickets, it would be difficult for the side.

What are your expectations about Team India in the World Cup?

It’s all about consistency. India has a very good chance to win the World Cup on home turf. Making it to the last four could be easy for Team India, but thereafter they need to play extraordinary cricket to lift the trophy. Not only India, but all other teams too have quality spinners, and our batters need to score against quality bowling attacks.

Do you still see swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the scheme of things for the World Cup?

Yes, I see him very much in the scheme of things as he has the experience to exploit conditions, but only if he can come up with some fine performances in the white ball events in the domestic season. Team India needs an experienced bowler like Bhuvi, who can handle pressure, can vary his pace, swing the ball both ways, and fox batters with knuckle deliveries. He is a handy batsman too. If you don’t have Jasprit Bumrah, and don’t know how long you are going to rest Mohammed Shami and how you are going to utilise his services, you don’t have Prasidh Krishna too. Besides Siraj and Shami, who is your third pacer in the team? Will you play Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Arshdeep Singh in a big event like the World Cup?

Is performance in domestic cricket no more a criterion of selection in Team India?

No, I beg to differ on that. As a national selector, I always gave importance to performance in domestic cricket. Ajinkya Rahane played domestic cricket, that’s why he made a comeback. Sarfaraz Khan remained the highest run-getter in domestic cricket and got all the opportunities and then he didn’t perform and scored just six runs in three innings. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal performed and got opportunities. We, as selectors, didn’t pick anyone only based on his performance in IPL. Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Umran Malik did exceptionally well and got the India cap. Look at Yashasvi Jaiswal, who performed in all three formats and got the chance to play for India.

Do you see a difference in your approach when you coach a team?

I was a coach before becoming a selector and I was a coach after working as a selector. I have been the coach of various teams the world over, including Oman, Bangladesh, USA, J&K, Assam, Hyderabad, and now Uttar Pradesh. You change your approach according to the situation, but your thought process remains unchanged as all efforts are for the good of the game. The selector’s role is different as here you see and spot talent. But as a coach, you spend time with players and help them improve their skills.

Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar has consistently been doing well in the domestic circuit. Where do you see him in the future?

He is doing extremely well. Wherever he got the opportunity, he proved (himself). Unfortunately, the two left-arm spinners playing for India right now have been quite capable of doing well in all three formats of the game. In fact, he must wait, and keep performing consistently in this year’s domestic matches too and that’s the only way to knock on the door of Team India. I don’t know when he is going to get the opportunity, but he should be ready for that.