Ex-Skipper Slams Sri Lanka Cricket Board for agreeing to host India's Second Team
With the stalwarts of Indian cricket like captain Virat Kohli, Hitman Rohit Sharma, Bumrah being busy with the England tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) announced the second string of Men in Blue for the Sri Lankan tour.
Ahead of India's Tour of Sri Lanka, veteran Sri Lankan player Arjuna Ranatunga, who led his team towards victory in the 1996 edition of the World Cup found fault with India's second team coming for the tour.
The legendary player said, team India's second-string coming for the tour is nothing but an insult for the Sri Lankan cricket and he flayed the officials of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board for agreeing to the series.
The former skipper said, India is not sending their best to play against the hosts is not good and it is an insult to the Sri Lankan cricket and asked don't the officials know this before finalising the schedule?. Giving their nod for playing with the second team for the Tv ads is not appreciable, he said.
He also expressed his concerns over the performance of Sri Lanka and the rankings. The way the team is performing at the international stage concerns old players like me, he said.
For the first time, India has sent two different teams for two tours. While the big names like Kohli, Rohit, Rishabh, Bumrah, and Mohammad Shami were sent for WTC finals and Test series against England, the second time was announced for the Sri Lanka series.
Gabbar Shikhar Dhawan led second-string Indian team had landed in Sri Lanka recently and the team members went through a mandatory quarantine period. The series will start on July 13. The two teams will lock horns for the One-day series and T20 series.
While former skipper The Wall Rahul Dravid has been selected as the coach for the series, Swing King Bhuvneshwar Kumar was selected as Shikhar Dhawan's deputy for the series.
Ahead of India's Tour of Sri Lanka, veteran Sri Lankan player Arjuna Ranatunga, who led his team towards victory in the 1996 edition of the World Cup found fault with India's second team coming for the tour.
The legendary player said, team India's second-string coming for the tour is nothing but an insult for the Sri Lankan cricket and he flayed the officials of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board for agreeing to the series.
The former skipper said, India is not sending their best to play against the hosts is not good and it is an insult to the Sri Lankan cricket and asked don't the officials know this before finalising the schedule?. Giving their nod for playing with the second team for the Tv ads is not appreciable, he said.
He also expressed his concerns over the performance of Sri Lanka and the rankings. The way the team is performing at the international stage concerns old players like me, he said.
For the first time, India has sent two different teams for two tours. While the big names like Kohli, Rohit, Rishabh, Bumrah, and Mohammad Shami were sent for WTC finals and Test series against England, the second time was announced for the Sri Lanka series.
Gabbar Shikhar Dhawan led second-string Indian team had landed in Sri Lanka recently and the team members went through a mandatory quarantine period. The series will start on July 13. The two teams will lock horns for the One-day series and T20 series.
While former skipper The Wall Rahul Dravid has been selected as the coach for the series, Swing King Bhuvneshwar Kumar was selected as Shikhar Dhawan's deputy for the series.