The Gujarat-born domestic stalwart cricketer Sheldon Jackson was left frustrated once again after missing his place in India A squad for four-day matches against New Zealand or the West Zone squad for Duleep Trophy in September.
Sheldon Jackson Slams Selection Committee
Earlier BCCI announced a 16-man squad for the 3 four-day matches against New Zealand, starting September 1 in Bengaluru. Priyank Panchal is all set to lead the India A squad where players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Rajat Patidar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, and Sarfaraz Khan were added.
“If I am thinking of playing for the country and I am not even picked for the Duleep Trophy because someone feels I am too old, how am I going to reach over there? I was expecting to get picked for India A.
There’s nothing wrong in expecting it, and you don’t pick me for Duleep Trophy is inexplicable. As a professional, you always strive to upgrade yourself to a higher level. It’s demoralising when it’s stalled for reasons beyond my control,” Jackson told Sportstar in an interview.
“Why is age even criteria to get picked? If it is, they are taking away the dreams of at least 25 to 30 percent of domestic cricketers who are in the mid-30s,” he went on to say.
“I am not being the voice for them but I am speaking myself. You cannot stop someone from dreaming of playing at a higher level. I have been advocating this for quite a long time now.”
He went on to hit out at age being a selection criterion, and said that it has “just become a ploy to not pick someone”.
“Now when I am 35, I am being tagged as old but I have been hearing this since I was 31. Now they have picked more than six who are older than 30, so how is it justified then? Back then, I was told no one above 30 was picked. READ: Mandeep Singh Named as North Zone Captain in Duleep Trophy
But when a performer is picked for the country in his mid-30s based on his performance, why isn’t it adopted for domestic cricket?” Jackson said.
“I think it’s just become a ploy to not pick someone. When you don’t really have any other reason, you cite his age.”
He also said that while he has an image of being a “frustrated cricketer”, he is a “happy person” who enjoys his life.
“Many times I have heard that he is a frustrated cricketer who is venting out his angst. I am a very happy cricketer and a happy person who has a loving family to go back to. I enjoy my life and I feel asking questions for which we don’t get answers is justified as a professional. That doesn’t have anything to do with my space of mind,” he said.
Sheldon Jackson have played 76 first-class matches and scored 5634 runs with an average of 49.42 which includes 19 centuries and 27 half centuries.
