“These players are not serious about Test cricket anymore” - Former Indian cricketer slams Indian players for the whitewash to South Africa

Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winner Madan Lal has slammed the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, for not being serious in terms of the Indian Test team selection, adding that they can’t pick the Indian Test team based on IPL performances.

Advertisment

Speaking exclusively on Sportstar, Lal asserted that the Indian Test selection should be completely based on the performances in India’s domestic premier tournament, the Ranji Trophy, instead of the Indian Premier League.

For the unversed, these comments came right after India’s whitewash by 0-2 to South Africa at home. While India suffered a 30-run defeat in the first Test in Kolkata, they faced a 408-run drubbing in the second Test in Guwahati.

"I got the impression that these players are not serious about Test cricket anymore. I would call it the IPL effect, where the mentality is to hit every delivery for a six or a four," Madan Lal told Sportstar.

"At times, I kept wondering that if you are going to pick players based on their IPL performances, then what's the need for playing the Ranji Trophy. That's your ultimate platform to find players who can bat for long, but it seems like they are turning a blind eye towards the premier tournament," said Lal.

Additionally, Lal went on to assert that though it wasn’t just the head coach Gautam Gambhir’s failure, it’s a collective failure, adding that both the head coach and players are equally responsible for the Test series whitewash.

"It's a collective failure. It's easiest to sack the coach. Yes, he has made mistakes, but putting all the blame on him is also not fair, because at the end of the day, the players, too, have made mistakes. The head coach and the players are equally accountable," the former cricketer concluded.

Advertisment

India will get a long break from Test cricket until the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season. 

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!