The crew chats about the idea of selecting a cricket team, and debates how one can have a meaningful conversation about an inherently unfair process. Should selectors be more transparent about the reasoning behind their choices? Is there a process by which we can judge a good selection? And how can anyone justify the selection of the Indian team when anything less than a victory in a global tournament (or marquee Test series) is deemed a failure?
Talking Points:
- How does one have a meaningful debate about selection?
- Does the selection (or non-selection) of one player have a big impact on results?
- Will it help us understand the process better if selectors explain the rationale for their choices?
- What was the cricketing logic behind Vijay Shankar's selection for the 2019 World Cup?
- What are selectors looking for when they earmark a player as an India prospect?
- Is there anything that can be termed an 'outrageous selection' ?
- Does Sarfaraz Khan know why he is not being picked for India? Does it matter?
- Are selection debates essentially about 'who are the 11 players I like the most'?
- Pre 2011, should Yuvraj and Raina played more Tests than Badrinath and Rohit?
- The difference between Karn Sharma over Ashwin, Shardul over Ashwin, and Jadeja over Ashwin
- Is Shardul Thakur an extraordinary Test selection - or merely a lucky one?
Participants:
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page
Ashoka (@ABVan)
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Related:
- Why selection in India is not illogical or capricious, contrary to popular opinion - Kartikeya Date - ESPNcricinfo
- What more can Sarfaraz Khan do to get selected for India? - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
- R Ashwin opens up on WTC drop and on being ‘traumatised’ in the past - Venkata Krishna B - Indian Express
- ‘Batting is now less artistic, more power-based’ – 81allout podcast with Amol Muzumdar
- Watching, studying, writing, talent-spotting: a life in cricket - 81allout podcast with Makarand Waingankar