'No tantrums' - Jay Shah introduces new mandate for Indian Test players
Shah spoke in a ceremony organised to rename Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium after former cricketer Niranjan Shah.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah made it clear that all centrally contracted players will have to play domestic red-ball cricket and that the board is not going to tolerate any tantrums. It applies to the players whoever is fit and available to play according to the NCA (National Cricket Academy).
In a ceremony organised to rename Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium after veteran cricket administrator Niranjan Shah in Rajkot, Shah spoke about India’s centrally contracted players’ reluctance to play Ranji Trophy games. “Whatever advice we get from the NCA — say suppose somebody’s body is not able to handle both white-ball and red-ball cricket — so we do not want to impose anything in that regard,” Shah said as quoted by PTI.
“(It applies to) whoever is fit and young — we are not going to tolerate any other tantrums. This message is for all centrally contracted players,” he added.
“Everyone will have to play, otherwise, the chairman of the selection committee has given me his suggestions and I am going to give him a free hand to let him take his own calls freely,” he further said.
“They have been informed on phone already and I’m going to write letters as well that if your chairman of selectors, your coach and your captain are asking for it then you will have to play red-ball cricket,” Shah mentioned in the ceremony.
‘He is not that kind of a player that he would ask for a leave without any reason’: Jay Shah on Virat Kohli
Jay Shah also spoke about Virat Kohli’s withdrawal from the ongoing Test series against England. “If somebody is asking for a personal leave in 15 years then it is his right to ask for it. Virat is not that kind of a player that he would ask for a leave without any reason. We must back and trust our players,” Shah said about Kohli, who has withdrawn from the ongoing Test series against England due to personal reasons.
Read: Jay Shah accidentally confirms India's T20 World Cup 2024 captain
Due to the unavailability of several first-choice players, India fielded a young batting line-up in the third Test at Rajkot. India’s top seven has two debutants and a player having an experience of one Test match.