Duleep Trophy: Ex-India Pacer lashes out at South Zone Selectors after Jalaj Saxena misses

Jalaj Saxena was the top wicket taker in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season with 50 scalps including six five wicket draws and two 10 wicket match draws.

Jalaj Saxena bowls during Ranji Tryphy 2022-23. (Image: Twitter)

New Delhi: Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad on Sunday lashed out at the South Zone selection committee for not choosing Jalaj Saxena in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The six-team zonal tournament marks the start of BCCI’s domestic schedule for the 2023-2024 season.

Saxena, who plays for Kerala in the domestic circuit, was the top wicket taker with 50 wickets from seven matches in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, including six five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls.

Prasad, who had also served as India’s bowling coach in the past, expressed disappointment at Saxena’s exclusion, describing the incident as ‘laughable’. “A lot of laughable things happen in Indian cricket. The highest wicket taker in Ranji Trophy not being chosen even for the South Zone team is as baffling as can be. It just makes the Ranji trophy useless… what a shame,” Prasad tweeted.

Earlier, Saxena himself expressed his disappointment after being locked out. “Highest wicket taker in Ranji trophy in India (Elite Group) was not chosen in Duleep trophy. Can you please check if it ever happened in Indian domestic history? I just wanted to know. Don’t blame anyone,” Saxena tweeted.

An accomplished all-rounder, Saxena has played 133 first-class matches with 410 wickets and 6567 runs to his name, including 28 five-wicket hauls, seven 10-wicket hauls, 14 centuries and 32 fifties.

Selection South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (C), Mayank Agarwal (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Ricky Bhui (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Samarth, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, V Vyshak, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal and Tilak Varma.