'Decision to ignore him is absolutely absurd' - Dilip Vengsarkar enraged by India's choice to leave out Auqib Nabi for Afghanistan Test

Former batter and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar expressed his displeasure at not seeing Jammu & Kashmir star Auqib Nabi in India’s Test squad for the upcoming one-off game against Afghanistan. 

Vengsarkar was left baffled by the fact that, despite Nabi taking 60 wickets during the title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign, the selectors had opted not to select him for the game against Afghanistan. The former captain claimed that if performances in the country’s domestic red-ball tournament are irrelevant as selection criteria, the Ranji Trophy should not exist in the first place. 

“The selectors’ decision to ignore him is absolutely absurd and baffling. What kind of selection is this? It is just not acceptable. It is injustice. Can you imagine Nabi’s plight right now? He took 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. He has worked hard for it and deserves a place ahead of everybody else. If domestic cricket performances are not a criterion, then the BCCI should scrap domestic cricket,” Dilip Vengsarkar was quoted as saying to The Times of India. 

Vengsarkar disagrees with the points against Nabi, like his pace. The former India captain believes these variations are completely insignificant as long as he can take wickets on a regular basis. The game against Afghanistan would have been the ideal time to try out a new bowler, particularly when they are in good form. 

“You pick a bowler for his ability to get wickets. He may bowl at 130 kmph, but the important thing is his wicket-taking ability. This kid has shown tremendous consistency in getting wickets. This was the ideal time to groom him. When a player is in form, you give him the opportunity then and there. You don’t wait until he loses confidence, fitness or hunger,” he added. 

Over the course of the last two Ranji Trophy campaigns, Nabi has taken a total of 104 wickets for Jammu & Kashmir. The 29-year-old has picked up 156 scalps from 41 First-Class matches in his career at an average of just 18.37.

Instead of picking the right-arm pacer, India have opted to go with Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar as their new seam bowler. The 25-year-old has also shown a lot of promise in First-Class cricket, taking 52 wickets from 18 matches.