Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach Kapil Pandey has lashed out at the Indian team management over the lack of chances for the chinaman spinner in the Test side. Pandey, who has been coaching Kuldeep for the past 17 years, believes the spinner is being treated unfairly by the team management and should have been included in the playing XI for the ongoing first Test against England in Chennai.
Kuldeep, who last played a Test match for India in January 2019, against Australia in Sydney, was left to warm the bench for all four games during the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 between India and Australia. Kuldeep was expected to make his comeback in the ongoing series-opener against England but he was overlooked once again for the Chennai encounter.
“Since the team management has not been giving Kuldeep Yadav a chance for a long time, pressure will automatically mount on him. Everybody should be given equal chance, Washington Sundar is being given chances to prove himself, [Shahbaz] Nadeem has been given two chances, so why not Kuldeep Yadav? He has taken five wickets in his last Test innings in Australia, shouldn’t he be given a chance?,” Pandey was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.
With Ravindra Jadeja not in the fray due to injury, Kuldeep seemed to be an obvious choice in the playing XI for Chennai Test but the team management’s decision to include Nadeem surprised many fans and experts.
“Now I am feeling bad because neither Jadeja is fit nor are India playing overseas. Had Kuldeep Yadav been playing for some other country, he would have had at least 50 Tests and 200 wickets under his belt now. But the thing is he is playing in India where anything anywhere is justified. If there can be a farmer’s protest, there can be unrest anywhere in the country,” said Pandey.
