‘There’s no doubt about his ability, but…’ – S Sreesanth slams ‘sympathy’ being received by star India batter following World Cup snub

Ever since the India squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup was announced, there has been a lot of talk in the Indian cricket community about Sanju Samson’s absence. The wicket-keeper batsman didn’t make it into the 15-man World Cup squad and was also not chosen for the ODI series against Australia.

As fans debate whether Samson should have been included in India’s ODI team, especially for the Australia series, former Indian fast bowler S. Sreesanth has expressed his disappointment with the “sympathy” that the player is receiving.

“I think it’s the right decision because it’s very important for a player to understand himself,” Sreesanth said in a chat on Sportskeeda. “From Gavaskar sir to Harsha Bhogle sir and Ravi Shastri sir, everyone rates him highly. There’s no doubt about his ability. But the approach… he doesn’t listen when someone asks him to play according to pitch. He can change that attitude,” he added.

‘All of Malyali people who support him, including me, say…’ – S Sreesanth

“Whenever I meet him, I tell him just one thing: “Sanju, please read the wicket. Wait, don’t go after every bowler. Think. You can hit anyone anywhere anytime, just wait for the opportunity,” the former India fast bowler continued.

“I’ll say, ‘Waqt kiske liye nahi rukta’ (time doesn’t stop for anyone). Everyone talks about time, I’ll also tell the same to Sanju. A lot of good people are coming in. Even the two keepers going for the Asian Games (Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma). When everyone’s talking about you, make it count. Getting sympathy is very easy, but appreciation is difficult.”

“All of Malyali people who support him, including me, say he doesn’t get chances. We can’t say that. He got chances against Ireland and Sri Lanka, he has been playing IPL for 10 years. He has been playing since 2013, has been the captain too, and has scored just three 100s and he hasn’t shown consistency,” he concluded.