Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has questioned the decision to make Vaibhav Sooryavanshi East Zone vice-captain, arguing that the teenager’s first-class numbers do not yet justify the role.
A reward, but a debatable one
On his YouTube channel, Jaffer accepted that the selectors may have wanted to reward one of India’s most exciting young batters, and that the move could encourage him. But he felt the figures, including his Ranji Trophy returns, are not especially impressive so far, so the choice was open to debate.
Sooryavanshi has played eight first-class matches, scoring 207 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17.25, with a best of 93. He has already been Bihar’s vice-captain, so he has some domestic leadership experience.
The Easwaran case
Jaffer said Abhimanyu Easwaran would have been the fairer pick. The Bengal batter has played 113 first-class matches, is the highest run-scorer in the East Zone squad, and has captained both Bengal and India A. Jaffer felt that someone with that much cricket behind him deserved the position.
The former opener also accepted that the appointment may speed up the youngster’s development as a future leader, and called it a positive sign from Sooryavanshi’s perspective.
Not a big controversy
Even so, Jaffer did not want to overstate the issue. Ishan Kishan will captain the team, he noted, so the vice-captain’s role is unlikely to have a large effect on how the side performs.
