Former India batter Wasim Jaffer opined on recurring injuries to Indian players before the Sri Lanka Tests. India will play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka beginning August 15 as well, and a few key players like Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Harshit Rana, among many others, have been injured and out of the team as well. Most recently, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah and batter Sai Sudharsan were ruled out of the Sri Lanka series as well.
“I feel we need to be a little stricter with the physical tests that we have. We were very strict during Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s time. I feel we need to get back to that. It is necessary to be more strict, I feel. We were at our fittest at that time. Our fast bowlers were playing continuously at that time. If anyone failed the fitness test, they were not picked. Players were keeping themselves very fit. It was criticised for being too strict, but a lot depends on fitness, so we need to get back to that with such high demands and to stay at the top as a team,” Wasim Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.
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“The players who want some practice come there. There is also a list of contracted players who keep coming to the COE. They have to take fitness tests regularly, they are checked to see if they are in the right shape or not. Even other targeted players are called again and again. The players who are injured do their rehab process and recovery. Laxman is doing a great job. I have seen him closely. He is very sincere about his work, and his communication is great, be it with coaches or selectors. I don’t think he is falling short in any department,” he again expressed.
Recently, a shocking report emerged that IPL franchises forced players to play even if they are injured due to the heavy investment involved. An anonymous BCCI COE source raised the concern (via ANI) as well. On the same, Wasim Jaffer said that the franchises were within their rights to expect players to be available throughout because of the big investments. However, he also said that if a player was unfit, he would never play as well.
“I think the amount of money franchises spend on their players and on the tournament, they have the right. They also have their demands that players are available and the franchise does well. And when good players play, only then do their chances of winning increase. So they have a fair right to push the players. Somewhere they don’t have so much to do with how the player will do when he plays for India or whatever. They have their own personal right to want the player to be available if they have spent crores. If a player does not come or pulls out, all the combinations and plans are spoilt. As long as the trainers and physios declare players fit, they have the right. It will never happen that a player is unfit and he will be pushed to keep playing,” Wasim Jaffer concluded.
