"Bulking up their individual career stats" - Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at Indian selectors for picking senior players for WI Tests

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently slammed the Indian selectors for picking senior cricketers for the two-match Test series against the West Indies, starting next month.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) almost named a similar squad that played in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final earlier this month. Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami are the only three cricketers not part of the squad.

The selection didn't go down well with Gavaskar, who criticized the selectors, saying that this series will only help the senior players boost their individual numbers.

“What is Indian cricket going to learn by picking the same seniors for the two Test matches who have now failed to deliver in two World Test Championship finals?" Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day. "How does it even matter if they score heaps of runs and take a bunch of wickets in the Caribbean apart from it bulking up their individual career stats?"

Sunil Gavaskar further reckoned that picking some youngsters for this series would have made more sense given that West Indies are no more a force to reckon with.

“West Indies are no more the force they were in the last century as can be seen by the fact that they are currently playing in Zimbabwe to try and qualify for the ODI World Cup that they won twice in the 70s. So picking some younger players for the Test series would have made more sense," he added.

The selectors picked a couple of youngsters, namely Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, for the two-match series against the West Indies, which gets underway on July 12 in Dominica.

---

"With the World Cup in mind, they should focus only on white-ball cricket" - Sunil Gavaskar on resting senior cricketers

Sunil Gavaskar further highlighted that the West Indies tour was the best opportunity to give senior cricketers an extended break, with the ODI World Cup approaching thick and fast.

“More importantly, the seniors who are certainties for the World Cup in October could have done with a bit of rest after the busy season they have had over the last six months," Gavaskar wrote. "With the World Cup in mind, they should focus only on white-ball cricket and prepare for what promises to be an exciting World Cup."

Rohit Sharma and Co. will play two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is on the Caribbean shores.