"I have my doubts" - Wasim Jaffer on Sanju Samson being India's No.4 in ODIs

Wasim Jaffer recently expressed his apprehensions over wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson being India's No.4 in ODIs on the road to the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

Jaffer stated that Samson's high-risk game may not be suitable for the crucial position, pointing out how the latter played lofted shots early in his innings in the third ODI against the West Indies.

"He (Sanju Samson) played well, but he plays a very high-risk game," Wasim Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo. "If you look at his innings, he came out and hit those couple of sixes. It connected and went for six, but he could have gotten out if he had mistimed. That's been the case with Sanju Samson. So, somebody to bat at No.4 and play like that, I have my doubts."

Jaffer opined that he doesn't mind Samson's attacking approach. He, however, suggested that the player has been quite inconsistent in his performances, which is a big concern.

"That's fine if the team management gives him that licence, but consistency is also an issue," the former Indian opener added. "You want to be destructive, but you don't want to score in two or three innings out of six. That's my concern. Even in the IPL, we have seen that there are some good innings and some really lean patches. That's been the case. So he needs to learn."

Notably, Sanju Samson was dismissed for just nine runs in his comeback ODI in Barbados. He did manage to turn things around in the third and final fixture against the West Indies, scoring 51 off 41 balls with the help of four sixes and two boundaries.

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"There is a lot to work on for him" - Wasim Jaffer on Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav was handed yet another opportunity to prove his worth in ODI cricket. However, he failed to get big runs under his belt in the three-match series against the West Indies, finishing with 78 runs at an average of 26.00.

While Jaffer praised Suryakumar's 35-run knock in the third ODI, he stated that the dynamic batter needs to show more improvement in the format.

"Suryakumar Yadav didn't get going. I thought he had the platform set. He did no harm. Even though he got 35, I thought he played well. But there is a lot to work on for him in this format," Wasim Jaffer elaborated.

Suryakumar will next be seen in action during India's upcoming five-match T20I series against the West Indies, which begins on Thursday, August 3, in Trinidad.