India’s victory in the ODI series with Zimbabwe (a series whitewash) has been soured by the omission of Kashmiri cricketer Parvez Rasool from the playing 11 in any of the five matches. The deep sense of disquiet and, in some quarters, outrage over his exclusion is understandable. The team management has given a handle to India-baiters in the State for once again raising the bogey of injustice and discrimination against Kashmiris.
Raj Kishore Mishra,
Gurgaon
When India was assured of a series win, Virat Kohli could have given Rasool a chance to make his international debut. As captain, he should have paid attention to nurturing young talent.
P.P. Manoj Kumar,
Ottapalam
Rasool’s unreasonable exclusion was disappointing, particularly to thousands of Kashmiri youths for whom he is a hero. I do not understand why he was denied an opportunity, especially when Team India had already sealed the series 4-0, when Zimbabwe is not a strong team and every player got at least one game to play.
Iftikhar Hussain,
Baramulla
Surely. his confidence must have been dented as this tour would have been an ideal launching pad for him to showcase his talent. Kohli may give a hundred reasons for not playing Rasool in any of the matches, but won’t be convincing.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
We have reinforced the sense of alienation and suspicion among Kashmiris, making them feel even more marginalised. What happened to Rasool was unfair and should not be repeated.
Sarayu Sankar,
Chennai
A lot has been written about the remarkable abilities of the Bishan Singh Bedi protégé. Unfortunately, he was not given a chance to showcase them. This is no way to treat budding talent.
Venkatraman Garke,
Chennai
That Rasool didn’t get a chance to play is unfortunate. Even more unfortunate are tweets from political leaders. Team selection is the prerogative of the captain and the team management. Inexplicable decisions have been taken in the past and will be taken in future too. The fact that a player hails from Kashmir does not make him any more eligible or ineligible than other players.
Narender Kumar,
New Delhi
