Aniruda Srikkanth T20 Selection

Overrated 'Under Performer'
 Despite an ordinary season in TNPL and First Division cricket and below par performance for the state over several years, Aniruda finds a place in the TN T20 squad

Questionable selection has once again come to the fore in Tamil Nadu cricket. Aniruda S, son of former India cricketer and former Chairman of Selectors, K Srikkanth who has a dashing style of stroke play similar to his father has been chosen in the squad for the Inter State T20 tournament ahead of several other promising and performing cricketers.

Aniruda has done nothing of repute to warrant the selection in terms of performance. In the TNPL just a few months back, he scored just over a 100 runs in 7 matches clocking an average of just 15. In the first division cricket too, he has done very little this season scoring just over 200 runs in 6 matches.

Over the last decade, while he has always been spoken around as one with quite a lot of talent with an ability to play dashing cricket, he has for long not utilized the chances provided to him at the state level.

It is okay to provide opportunities for a while based on potential, but not for several years when performance has no where matched the potential. Would any one remember him winning matches for the state in the shorter version or have there been consistent performance in any year in any form of the game over the last 5 years or so. And he isn't getting any younger. For how long, would you select a player based on 'talent' and 'striking ability'.

He has of course shown a glimpse of his natural talent every now and then with some breezy knocks but really that does not justify this selection.

He has for sometime been less of an asset on the field with his fitness levels not where it needs to be for the grueling T 20 game. His running between the wickets is shaky.

Yes with his natural talent and his dashing outlook, he has had the potential to win matches but if that has not materialized over a long period of time in terms of performance and if the recent form has been nothing to write home about, one cannot justify such selection especially when the TNPL has ‘supposedly’ unearthed talent for this form of the game.

Chairman of Selection Committee S Sharath says that it was a joint decision by the selection committee and that the coach and the majority of the selection team were keen on having him after seeing him in the practice sessions and were impressed with his striking ability as compared to the other options, almost giving an indication that he himself may not have been in favour, for over the last couple of years he has clearly moved in the direction of choosing younger players in the Ranji squad in an effort to try and create a long term path for the State.

It is quite possible that Aniruda Srikkanth will prove this story wrong and will win matches for Tamil Nadu this season and it may yet turn out to be his best season for the State in T20.

Despite all of these possibilities, he has really been given a long rope for too a long a time at the state level without justifiable performance matching his selection. The previous selection committee under B Kalyanasundaram picked him for the T20 tournament. And now the current committee under S Sharath too has backed Aniruda, who will be turning 30 in a few months, for his ‘dashing’ potential leaving one wondering as to how someone can be picked for ‘potential’ for this long a period.

While the younger talent have shot into prominence in the longer format and have showcased themselves well this year, the choice of picking Aniruda, without any scores this season to back him, is a backward step in the wrong direction.