“He’s much better than Dhruv Jurel!” »: Former cricketer slams Indian selectors for ‘bad’ call in ODI squad for Australia | Cricket News

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels that Sanju Samson should have been part of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, calling him a better candidate for the lower middle order than Dhruv Jurel. While acknowledging Jurel’s impressive performance in the Test series against the West Indies, Kaif said Samson’s six-hitting ability and experience in Australian conditions could have been more valuable. “I think Dhruv Jurel played very well when he scored that century (against WI). He looked very compact and organized, and he is definitely the future of Indian cricket. He has that ability to score in every game. But leaving out Sanju Samson was a wrong decision because Sanju usually plays in the lower order, around number 5 or 6, and for this position he is a much better option than Jurel,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.Watch Mohammad Kaif’s speech on leaving Sanju Samson out of the ODI team Jurel, who was part of the Test squad, was named in the 15-member ODI squad for the three-match series starting October 19 in Perth. However, KL Rahul is expected to keep wickets during the ODIs, with Samson returning for the T20I leg later this month. Kaif felt that Samson’s ability to hit boundaries consistently, especially against spinners, makes him a better choice for the middle order. “At this stage, you need someone who can hit sixes, especially against spinners. We saw the strength of Sanju Samson in the Asia Cup. If he had gone to Australia, he would have hit Adam Zampa for maximums. He is in the top 10 for most sixes in the IPL, and he fits in perfectly at number 5 or 6 in Australian conditions,” Kaif added.

The former India batter also warned against judging selections solely on short-term form. “At the moment we tend to focus only on current form, like how Jurel has been playing recently, and in doing so we forget players like Sanju who have been performing consistently and deserve it,” he said. The India-Australia ODI series begins on October 19, followed by five T20Is starting from October 29.