Saurashtra CA president Niranjan Shah says Zimbabwe tour important for Jadeja else he will become a forgotten hero
Saurashtra CA president Niranjan Shah says Zimbabwe tour important for Jadeja else he will become a forgotten hero
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's career is at crossroads. Of all the players under the Indian cricket board's scrutiny for indiscipline during the ICC World Twenty20, the weakest position is that of the Saurashtra player. He was already under the BCCI scanner in the Indian Premier League for getting involved in a contract-related controversy and was banned from the IPL for one year.
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| CROSSROADS: Ravindra Jadeja |
The World T20 was his first tournament after missing the Indian T20 league and it proved to be a nightmare for Jadeja where he was mauled in the big games against Australia (38 runs in two overs) and West Indies (27 runs in two overs).
His parent association, Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) is feeling let down and the SCA president Niranjan Shah issued him a warning. "Mere talent is not enough, one has to be in control and focussed. Jadeja has to understand that and decide what he wants to do. Otherwise, people will forget him," Shah told MiD DAY.
"Every individual has a different nature. In my 35 years' involvement in cricket, I have seen there are always players like him who only learn after making mistakes," said the former BCCI secretary.
Shah said the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe (May 28 to June 13) could be a make or break one for Jadeja. "The Zimbabwe tour is very important for him. Let's see how it goes," said Shah.
"He is just starting out in his career. His focus has to be on cricket and not extra-curricular activities. He has to learn from his mistakes otherwise controversies will spoil his career. These things will determine how far his career will go," said Shah, who is also the IPL vice-chairman.
Despite the disappointment, Shah is prepared to back his player one last time. "I will give him the benefit of doubt (in the St Lucia pub incident). Maybe, he was in a crowd. But, the time has come for him to understand that cricket is very tough," said Shah, adding "My advise to him is that he should learn from great players like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar."
