Former India captain and ex-chief selector Kris Srikkanth has criticised BCCI for the way Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara bid farewell to Test cricket, citing poor communication from the Board that denied the players the farewell they deserved after years of service to Indian cricket.
“If you play 100 Tests for your country, you must be a terrific cricketer. So you should be given a good send-off,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. “I am convinced there was a big communication gap when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired. They should have spoken to them, but instead, this is not a good look for the game and Indian cricket.”
Kohli and Rohit shocked fans after a sudde retirement announcements from Test cricket in May. Rohit declared his retirement through an Instagram post, and just days later, Kohli also announced decided to quit red-ball cricket. Neither of them received a farewell Test, which has sparked debates the treatments of the icons.
“Virat Kohli’s retirement happened just like that. Virat Kohli deserved a better send-off. He still had two years of Test cricket left in him. But because we drew in England, such talks about him got shut off. However, India will find it difficult to get a cricketer like Virat Kohli for some time,” Srikkanth added.
Kohli ended his career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, while Rohit finished with 4,301 runs in 67 Test matches. Srikkanth also pointed out that Pujara too has retired without a farewell match. “Similarly with Pujara, though it’s been a while since he played for India, they should have spoken to him also about his retirement plans. Of course, the player also has to co-operate and realise when their time is up. Had that happened, Pujara would have got a better send-off. But it’s a matter of cooperation between the player, selectors and the BCCI,” he said.
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