Ashwin, Jadeja were undermined: Bishan Singh Bedi

CHENNAI: The straight talking Bishan Singh Bedi was forthright when he was asked to assess the current crop of India spinners. The former India captain and left-arm spin great on Friday said the duo of R. Ashwin and Jadeja were undermined by the team management and the selectors. “I feel pretty strongly that Ashwin and Jadeja were undermined. When you throw in rookies (Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav), who are products of IPL, there is a vast difference. The captain must have some preferences. If you have a preference, then the result must show. Not against Sri Lanka and West Indies, and in their backyard,” said Bedi, who received the M.A. Chidambaram Centenary Award in the city.  

Ashwin and Jadeja were dropped from the ODI team after last year’s Champions Trophy final. While Ashwin hasn’t made comeback in the limited-overs side, Jadeja proved to be a match-winner when he returned for the Asia Cup.  

Bedi said he is a big fan of Ashwin’s cricket thinking and the off-spinner has set a high benchmark that people are expecting a lot from him. “Ashwin is an outstanding talent. When he is doing so well at home, we take him to the sky and expect the same when he goes abroad. Then we pull him down. In a way, Ashwin also has to own it up, for his world-class stature,” Bedi added.

Bedi had a word of advice for the Chennai cricketer. “It is up to him how much does he enjoying playing. The joy of playing should not take a backseat. When you start playing, you play for the fun of it. One good day you realise, you can make a career of it. However, financial returns and everything should come next,” he said.  

Bedi was also critical about some sections of media for not questioning the Indian team management about the lack of preparation for the oversees tours. “We had a four-day game against Essex in England. It was reduced to a three-day affair. Is it because of the heat, that too in England? You must be joking. I think, media is eating out of the palm of team management,” he added.