OVERLOOKED: Sanjam’s Ommission Lambasted

A former cricket captain has lambasted Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the national team selection committee ‘for setting a wrong precedent in the team selection’.

Pawan Agrawal, who played 14 internationals for the country, has been unhappy with the omission of off-spinner Sanjam Regmi. “It’s a case of experienced player left out without any proper justification,” he said.

Sanjam has played 18 matches taking 19 wickets for senior level and was a part of the Under-19 team during early 2001-2002 that created history by winning the first international trophy in 2001 and reached plate final in Youth World Cup in New Zealand. The feat only overshadowed this year by the team lead by Kanishka Chaugai that won the plate final in Sri Lanka.

“Sanjam is an experienced player and even looking at the team combination, he deserved the place because there is no off-spinner in the team,” Agrawal added. Sanjam was left out for the ICC InterContinental Cup tie against Namibia in March. He did his best to make a comeback becoming the Best Bowler of the Fifth National League held in May.

Calling the selection ‘rubbish’, Agrawal, the first half-century scorer for Nepal, also hit out CAN in issues of leg-spinner Raj Kumar Pradhan and Mehboob Alam. “Why an experienced player like Raj Kumar left out in 18 probables, and why was he included in last 14?” he questioned.

“CAN stopped Mehboob from playing in the national league [he only played one match after CAN cleared him],” he added. “Now, he has been called back from Qatar, what has changed in him. Early they wanted to discourage him and now giving unnecessary favors.”

“So far team selection has been fair, but this time they established a wrong precedent,” Agrawal concluded. “I won’t be surprised if the team of 14 is changed before they leave for the tour.”

Meanwhile, Bijaya Sharma, the chief selector, has denied any wrongdoing. “As a former captain, we welcome his [Pawan’s] suggestions, and we would like to improve if we have done wrong,” he said. “But I believe we haven’t done wrong this time too.”

Describing Agrawal’s rage as a ‘region favor’, Sharma said the selection committee has no biases to any players. “He said it because he and Sanjam is from Kalaiya,” he said. “And on the time when we needed to consolidate our batting, selecting Akash Gupta was better option.”

Sharma added that he put forward the matter of Sanjam and Akash to national coach Roy Dias and the Sri Lankan wanted the latter. “On coach’s suggestion, we left him out as he believed he could do the off-spin with Sarad [Veshawkar] and Akash,” Sharma told the Post.

On the issue of Raj Kumar, Sharma said he was left out of 18 because his show of indiscipline during the closed-camp training in Birgunj. “We later added him to 18 on CAN president’s request,” he said adding that the selection committee has also requested CAN official not to intervene again. When Raj Kumar was left out, cricket fans in his hometown Biratnagar protested burning effigy of Sharma.

“Akash bats well and he could be match-winner,” Sharma justified the decision. “While I also believe Sanjam is the best off-spinner we have but while selecting a team, being the best only doesn’t carry any meaning.”

Nepali team is leaving for Pakistan for three practice matches before leaving to Malaysia for the August 13-27 event.