Wasim Jaffer retired as an absolute colossus of India’s domestic cricket. He became synonymous with longetivity and perseverance and several young cricketers in the country looked up to the man as far as batting and excelling in a difficult situation was concerned. However, the right-hander never quite got the recognition and got a rather truncated rope with the Indian team.
“I think I had a lot of chances. I came very close to those chances. But unfortunately the comeback didn’t happen. This happens with most cricketers, not just me. They feel they deserve to be there but do not get the opportunity because unfortunately somebody else is there to pick you and they decide certain things. But to be honest I have taken all that in my stride. I am a firm believer in destiny,” he told cricket.com.
At a time when the Indian Premier League has given young players in the country a great chance to rise and shine, Jaffer believes that the domestic setup should not be underplayed and that the domestic performers should be given their due.
“I think the time has changed. Even in my time I feel a lot of players like Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman, I don’t think they got their value. A player playing with them in a Test match knows how important those players are. But you know we have to go with the time. A lot of importance is given to T20 cricket. The people who are in marketing business or advertising business want somebody who is seen more on the TV, somebody who is glamorous or someone who plays the brand of cricket the crowd likes.”
“But you can’t devalue someone who plays T20 cricket because that’s the demand of the game nowadays. What I feel is, in today’s age and day, the cricketer needs to adapt himself to all three formats. You can’t just play Test cricket or you can’t just play T20 cricket. You will be recognised and respected only if you fit in all three formats. I am not saying Pujara is not respected, but then obviously he is going to play only Test cricket and no other format.” he added.
