By Diptayan Hazra

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 21 (ANI): Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has welcomed the Indian selectors' call to leave Shubman Gill out of the T20 World Cup squad for next year, stating that the decision reflects maturity and a clear shift towards specialist T20 players. Wassan also said he would prefer Rinku Singh over Gill in the current T20 setup.

Reacting to Gill's exclusion, Wassan made it clear that he does not see it as an axing.

'I would not say that Shubman Gill has been axed. Because, you know, I hear a lot of talk about it, but yes, it was looking impractical and not pragmatic, according to me, for somebody to be captain of the Test team and then play all three formats. The guy has to change gears, and I think that is unfair these days,' he told ANI.

Wassan pointed out the growing pressure on multi-format players, primarily due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) ecosystem.

'Let him play the IPL. I think because of IPL...I can understand the pressure from the franchise owners because they would love to have an Indian T20 player in their IPL team, and that raises the economic value,' he explained.

According to Wassan, India must fully commit to T20 specialists.

'Hence, I say that Shubman Gill, going forward, has to just detach himself and this team has to be pure T20 specialists. And I think that is the way forward. All the teams in the world are doing that. We are a country of 140 crores, right?' he said.

Recalling India's struggles in the past, Wassan added, 'Till about a year and a half ago, when we went to Australia for the T20 World Cup, eight players were straddling the three formats, which was baffling for me. We are 140 crores and eight players. We've got plenty of players. We should have horses for courses. We should have specialist T20 players. That's why we lost in Australia.'

'So I think that mistake we have known and then we have to create players who are in the mould for T20 and these T20 players should not have this monkey on the back to prove themselves in the longer version of the game and reverse also,' he noted.

Wassan believes keeping Gill away from T20Is could actually help his long-term growth.

'I think Shubman Gill will add value to his persona, his gravitas, because he's been kept away from T20. That guy is a super player. I don't want to see him under pressure in T20, trying to hold his place and then go and lead an Indian team. So I think this also shows maturity,' he said.

Asked whether Gill was forced to play differently from his natural game in T20s, Wassan replied, 'No, no, this is what it is because if you're playing Test cricket, of course you have to play differently but in T20 there's no time because a player who is in that purest mould sometimes gets stuck, and then you lose those precious over and a half, because he knows that he's going to ride it out and come out on top but in T20, the match is gone by then.'

He further stressed the need for fearless players in the shortest format.

'I think you should have players who have no fear of being in the team for long and going to play at a high level of cricket. They play T20 cricket and just go. Even if you play three balls, you have to go blasting; if someone is a Test cricketer, he will not be able to do that. If he does that, he gets out, then people will say,' Wassan explained.

Backing Rinku Singh's return, Wassan said, 'I think this is well done. I think it's a brilliant selection, and hence, I say that Rinku Singh is back because he is the kind of player we have to invest in. He is a fearless guy. He has won us matches. He is that kind of guy. I would rather have him than Gill in the current situation.'

Defending Suryakumar Yadav amid questions over form, Wassan said, 'Form is temporary and class is permanent. Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) has proved himself again and again. He is a magical player.'

'So, it is silly, I find it very odd that we start talking about players who are doing so well in other formats and somebody who has been pitched as a captain for so long and just how people can imagine dumping him, he has been part of the team, he is leading well, and he is gonna perform. I hear a lot of noise in the last week, 10 days, about Gill as well, and Gill is not there; Suryakumar Yadav is. I think the selectors have shown maturity,' he added.

He felt dropping Suryakumar would have been a regressive step.

'It would have been egg on our face if Surya Kumar Yadav had been dumped here because that would have been going back to the old days of Indian cricket. And I think those days are gone. We are very mature. Our ecosystem is very well set,' he said.

On Ishan Kishan's inclusion, Wassan was full of praise.

'Wonderful. I think the guy is back from the wilderness, and I don't know what's been transpiring in the West Indies since he was dumped. This happens in Indian cricket. You know, a lot of noise and if somebody is seen as cocky, maybe he is not because he is a kind of different man and we have to respect that,' he said.

He added that Kishan deserved his comeback, 'He is a good player, but he had to go back, perform and bulldoze his way back. Well done, and I am really impressed, and he is the guy who is going to be our match winner.'

On the batting order with players like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Kishan, Wassan said, 'I will not actually worry too much about the batting order right now. I think you are supposed to play the T20 game in a set template. If someone goes and plays the new ball, you lose two wickets earlier. The other guy is playing the new ball. So I think all these players know their role well.'

He also highlighted the depth in the squad.

'The finisher role was accentuated, but now we have players like Axar Patel, who bowls well and has been made vice-captain. So I think it's brilliant. I think because players who have performed, who have pulled their weight, they have delivered, have been rewarded, and I think this is the maturity of the selectors. I think this is the best selection ever, I can say, for any Indian team,' Wassan remarked. (ANI)