Seasoned India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has questioned the national selectors for ignoring traditional spinners and for picking Washington Sundar over the likes of Jalaj Saxena and Akshay Wakhare. Harbhajan believes that both Saxena and Wakhare are not getting chances despite being good performers in the domestic circuit is having an impeding influence on the growth of finger spinners in the country.
“There is a spinner named Jalaj Saxena (347 FC wickets and 6334 FC runs). They just refuse to consider him. He has been bowling superbly for so many seasons. Wakhare (279 wickets in 83 FC games) is a consistent bowler but no one looks at him. And then you say, spinners are getting lost in Indian cricket. He must have done something good for Vidarbha to have won the Ranji Trophy twice,” he was as quoted by Sportstar.
The CSK-player was not convinced with the selection of Sundar as he believed that the Tamil Nadu player does not spin the ball and lacks in skills.
“They pick this guy called Washington Sundar, who doesn’t even spin the ball. I just don’t get it. Why don’t you encourage a bowler who bowls genuine spin, who can lure the batsman out and have him stumped. If Washington can bat a bit, so can Jalaj, who is also a proper spinner,” he further added.
“You have to develop these bowlers by giving them confidence. I want to know what wrong has Saxena done? Has he, Wakhare or Shahbaz Nadeem committed a crime by taking wickets?” Harbhajan went on to add.
Washington has been a part of India’s T20I setup for a while now and he will look to further boslter his case when he turns out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
