Saba Karim defends Abhimanyu Easwaran's selection after Sarandeep Singh's comments

Saba Karim feels no one has the right to question Abhimanyu Easwaran's selection as a reserve player for the England tour since he has proven himself in the domestic arena.

Former Indian team selector Sarandeep Singh recently labeled the selection committee's decision to pick Easwaran over Prithvi Shaw as 'surprising.' He felt the likes of Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal deserved to be a part of the touring party.

However, speaking on the Khelneeti podcast, former Indian cricketer Saba Karim said Sarandeep is wrong. In Karim's view, Sarandeep's comments could negatively impact Abhimanyu Easwaran's confidence.

"Yes, I feel this (Sarandeep Singh commenting on Easwaran) is wrong and it should not have happened.

"It is not the first time that Abhimanyu Easwaran is a part of the back-up group, which means that he would have practiced with the Indian squad, and even the Indian team players would know about his abilities. Things like these can impact his confidence."

Shubman Gill's injury has opened up a chance for Abhimanyu Easwaran to make his Test debut. The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer, who is the only batter in the back-up group, could get a place in the Indian squad for the England series.

"Nowadays the system is very transparent" - Saba Karim justifies Abhimanyu Easwaran's selection

Abhimanyu Easwaran has scored more than 4,000 first-class runs

Saba Karim further pointed out that the selection system in India is transparent these days. Players performing well in the domestic arena can only earn a spot in the Indian squad after impressing for India 'A' team. Thus, Karim believes Abhimanyu Easwaran's selection as a back-up is just.

Explaining further, Saba Karim said:

"Abhimanyu Easwaran has been playing domestic cricket for years now. He has even captained the Bengal cricket team and scored runs for the India 'A' team.

"Nowadays, the system is very transparent. If you perform well in first-class cricket, you earn an opportunity to play for India 'A', where Rahul Dravid is the coach, and he observes you.

"You get good exposure of playing in home and away conditions. And only after you've done well for India 'A', you get the national call-up."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to make an official announcement about Shubman Gill's injury. It will be interesting to see if Abhimanyu Easwaran receives a call-up to the Test squad.