ICC World Cup 2019: Former India skipper not happy with Dinesh Karthik’s selection over Rishabh Pant

Former Indian cricket team skipper Mohammed Azharuddin felt it was not fair to drop Rishabh Pant from India’s ICC World Cup 2019 squad. He also said that Pant, who has been India’s first-choice wicket-keeper in Tests should have been added to the squad over Dinesh Karthik, who has been given enough chances.

“Is it fair to drop a young cricketer who has performed exceedingly well in Tests in England and Australia. If he is not a good wicketkeeper why pick him for the Tests then. Karthik has been given enough chances. The team otherwise is well balanced and probably the best possible. The batting has depth and bowling looks superb,” Azharuddin was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

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Experience was not the main criteria which went against Pant, nor was his inability to build an innings and straightaway go for the big shots, which is often the critics favourite getaway when trying to find faults in Pant. It was, in fact the 20-year-old’s keeping skills that let him down and pretty much forced the selectors to go for Karthik.

Making it clear that keeping was the principal parameter while looking for Dhoni’s back-up in India’s World Cup squad, BCCI chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said, “In an important game wicket keeping is also important. That’s the reason we went with Dinesh Karthik,” after a brief selection meeting which also included Indian captain Virat Kohli at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Monday afternoon.

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There is still hope for Pant though as Prasad admitted that Pant or Karthik was the biggest topic of debate in the selection meeting.“Definitely a case where we debated in length. We all were in unison that either pant or DK will come in only when Mahi is injured,” MSK Prasad said after the squad was announced.