‘Who knows maybe they cleared him too quickly?’ – Former India World Cup winner questions rehabilitation process of NCA
Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has expressed doubts about Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the World Cup 2023 squad. Recently, Iyer is out of action due to his ongoing back injury concerns. The star India batter injury woes began during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. It was because of this injury which also forced him to miss the 2023 Indian Premier League.
Despite hopes for a comeback, Iyer’s back injury worsened during the India-Pakistan Super Four match at the Asia Cup. This has raised significant uncertainty about Iyer’s availability for the prestigious World Cup, leaving his chances in jeopardy. The two-time World Cup winner also emphasized the importance of fitness in such mega tournaments as must.
“It is a concern. You were out for such a lengthy time and then you return for the Asia Cup, play one match, and then again become unfit. I don’t think after this team management will pick up him for such a big tournament. You will see in the coming days that Iyer won’t be part of the World Cup squad and someone will be replacing him. You should always go into a World Cup with fit players,” the former India opener told Star Sports.
The former cricketer, now a commentator, emphasized the importance of prioritizing fitness over performance. Shreyas Iyer’s form is a major concern as he has participated in only one innings in the last six months. It is also to be kept in mind that the Indian team depends on Iyer to solve the mystery of number four in the upcoming World Cup 2023. “Performance is a different thing. Imagine if a player suffers from a spasm or some other thing then you cannot find a replacement. So, if Iyer hasn’t been fit in this tournament then it is very difficult for him to be part of the World Cup because of his injury and then we don’t even know how his form is presently. Whatever his form was, it was 7-8 months back after which he only played in one game. So, it is unfortunate,” Gambhir further added.
Questions are to be raised on NCA’s functioning
In the recent Asia Cup, Shreyas Iyer managed to score 14 runs off nine deliveries against Pakistan. After this match he was replaced by KL Rahul in the Super Four stage. Gautam Gambhir also raised concerns about the National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) involvement in Iyer’s recurrent back injuries and questioned whether his fitness was prematurely cleared.
“If questions are to be raised, then ask the NCA because that is where he was all these months and then got a clearance from there as well. Who knows maybe they cleared him too quickly?” Gambhir questioned on Star Sports.
