NEW DELHI: India batter Shreyas Iyer drew criticism from former Pakistan batter Basit Ali after he failed to make any impact in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy match.
The India D captain’s move of coming out to bat with sunglasses backfired badly as he was dismissed for a duck after facing just seven deliveries against India A.
Basit suggested that Iyer missed a chance to make a significant contribution to the team’s total, stating that he “should’ve scored 100-200 runs.”
“As a cricketer, it saddens me to see him.If you are getting out in front, your concentration isn’t in the game. And especially the red-ball game. He has scored two centuries in the World Cup, he’s an IPL-winning captain, he should’ve scored 100-200 runs here. Iyer is so lucky that Rahane and Pujara aren’t playing in Duleep Trophy,” said Basit on his YouTube channel.
Former Pakistani cricketer expressed doubts about Iyer’s hunger for Test cricket. He pointed out that Iyer seems to lack the desire and determination required for the longer format of the game.
“Iyer doesn’t have the hunger for red-ball cricket anymore. He’s only hungry for boundaries. You should prioritise it. If he’s thinking he is similar to Virat Kohli after hitting two centuries in World Cup, no, it doesn’t happen that way. I’m sorry to Indians who like him, but if I was India’s selector, Iyer wouldn’t have been in the Duleep Trophy at all. He’s not respecting the game,” he added.
Iyer has been excluded from the Indian Test squad following an extended period of subpar performances. He has failed to reach the 50-run mark in his previous 13 outings in the Test format.
This persistent lack of significant scores ultimately resulted in his omission from the team after the conclusion of the second Test match against England, which took place earlier this year.
The India D captain’s move of coming out to bat with sunglasses backfired badly as he was dismissed for a duck after facing just seven deliveries against India A.
Basit suggested that Iyer missed a chance to make a significant contribution to the team’s total, stating that he “should’ve scored 100-200 runs.”
“As a cricketer, it saddens me to see him.If you are getting out in front, your concentration isn’t in the game. And especially the red-ball game. He has scored two centuries in the World Cup, he’s an IPL-winning captain, he should’ve scored 100-200 runs here. Iyer is so lucky that Rahane and Pujara aren’t playing in Duleep Trophy,” said Basit on his YouTube channel.
Former Pakistani cricketer expressed doubts about Iyer’s hunger for Test cricket. He pointed out that Iyer seems to lack the desire and determination required for the longer format of the game.
“Iyer doesn’t have the hunger for red-ball cricket anymore. He’s only hungry for boundaries. You should prioritise it. If he’s thinking he is similar to Virat Kohli after hitting two centuries in World Cup, no, it doesn’t happen that way. I’m sorry to Indians who like him, but if I was India’s selector, Iyer wouldn’t have been in the Duleep Trophy at all. He’s not respecting the game,” he added.
Iyer has been excluded from the Indian Test squad following an extended period of subpar performances. He has failed to reach the 50-run mark in his previous 13 outings in the Test format.
This persistent lack of significant scores ultimately resulted in his omission from the team after the conclusion of the second Test match against England, which took place earlier this year.