‘I will never call a selector and ask..’ – Domestic cricket veteran speaks after getting overlooked for West Indies tour

Indian Cricket Board announced the squad for the upcoming West Indies tour with much fanfare this week. While the squad announcement has come out as thrilling news for a lot of fans and players, there are some who have found themselves on the wrong side of the emotional fence.

One player who is miffed with the selection is the 36-year-old batter, Sheldon Jackson. Despite performing amicably in the domestic circuit the Saurashtra batter finds his career withering away in stormy uncertainties.

To have played so much cricket for so long without donning the Men in Blue jersey must be painful for a professional player. And according to Jackson’s recent interview with Sportskeeds, it seems to be the case.

While talking of his non-selection for the West Indies tour, Jackson declined to comment on the selection process and said that it solely depends on the selectors. “I can never comment on anyone’s selection. I can only ask about myself, that why I have not got picked. I will never call a selector and ask why am I not picked,” Jackson said.

Jackson further claimed that he has been motivated by MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik’s fitness level over the years. “I get motivated when I see Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni. I have seen his (Karthik’s) entire transformation. He is a true inspiration for me and at the stage of my career that I am he is a motivation to me,” claimed Jackson.

I have not had any communication with Indian Cricket Board – Abhimanyu Easwaran

Another player who looks a bit dejected upon non-selection is Abhimanyu Easwaran. The Bengal player however has vowed to work even harder. He also said that he did not receive any communication from the Indian Cricket Board. “No, I have not had any communication so far,” Easwaran told Sportstar when asked if anyone from the Indian Cricket Board has approached him.

When quizzed on the areas of improvement he said, “That is there, irrespective of whether I get picked or not. I want to get better as a cricketer. I want to raise the bar every single day and get better. Selection is something which is not in my hands but improving every day is something I can work on to contribute more to my team, whichever team I play for, be it club, state, India A, East Zone or the Indian team. The thought process has always been that, I just want to focus on that. I just don’t want to give up. I just want to keep focusing on getting better.”