By CricketCountry Staff
Ajit Agarkar returned home after being disappointed at his axing from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Orissa at Cuttack.
Published: Nov 30, 2011, 11:01 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 30, 2011, 11:01 AM (IST)
Ajit Agarkar said he was not prepared to accept the decision © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Mumbai: Nov 30, 2011
Ajit Agarkar, who was disappointed at his axing from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Orissa, returned home on Wednesday.
The right-arm medium pacer was informed a day before the match that he will have to make way for Avishkar Salvi by captain Wasim Jaffeer, coach Sulakshan Kulkarni and selector Ravi Thakkar.
“They did not tell me before going I am not going to be the part of the eleven. I do not expect to not play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai,” Agarkar said.
“They could have done it in a better way. I don’t want to blow it out of proportion. If they had made this decision, they should have told me in Mumbai and not in Cuttack at 7 pm, a day before the match. At least I’ve earned that respect after playing so many years of top-level cricket,” he said.
He missed Mumbai’s first two Ranji Trophy games due to an injury, and remained wicketless against Karnataka, to whom Mumbai conceded a first-innings lead.
The 33-year-old cricketer said he was not prepared to accept the decision, and added that he could have been informed in private, DNA reported.
“It would have been easy had they informed me about my omission earlier. I wouldn’t have had to travel all the way to Cuttack. Doing this to a player who cares for Mumbai cricket or someone who has played for so many years is not right. I don’t play for money,” Agarkar said.
Agarkar backed his decision to return home by saying that unnecessary tension would have been created by his presence.
“If I’d stayed on, people would have been thinking about me instead of focusing on the match,” he said.
“They should have transparency. I have come back from injuries. It’s not done if they want me to play at the Cross Maidan and bowl 13 overs. I mean I’ve earned that respect to get into the side after playing so many years,” he said.
“I’ve been following a proper fitness regime after returning from an injury. I played a Police Shield match and did everything I could have done to get into shape. If they thought I bowled too badly against Karnataka, I’d say it was just a one odd game since I was coming out of an injury,” he added.
