Women’s World Cup 2022: Shikha Pandey expresses heartbreak after her selection snub from Team India squad for World Cup in New Zealand.
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BCCI’s selection committee led by chief selector Neetu David has come under the scanner ever since they have announced an 18-member Team India squad on Thursday for the upcoming 5-match ODI series versus New Zealand followed by the 2022 ICC World Cup.
While the likes of Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur would continue to lead the side as captain and vice-captain respectively, the exclusion of the experienced duo of Shikha Pandey and Punam Raut and the young right-handed batter Jemimah Rodrigues have raised quite a many eyebrows.
The fact that all of the aforementioned selection and exclusion decisions have been taken in the absence of a press conference, is the biggest talking point and which has invited the ire of Indian women’s Cricket fans.
While the selection of the likes of Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh has been welcomed, the fans and experts are bemused by the their inclusion at the expense of the 32-year-old experienced pacer Shikha Pandey.
“I’m not here to talk about selections, or the lack of them. I am not here to talk about weight or fielding. I am certainly not here to talk about favouritism.
I’m here to talk about processes.”
Wrote this in May 2021.
The Indian team for the #CWC22 is out. No PC (so far).
— Snehal Pradhan #MaskUp (@SnehalPradhan) January 6, 2022
Women’s World Cup 2022: Shikha Pandey expresses heartbreak
As per EspnCricinfo, Shikha Pandey (and Jemimah Rodrigues) despite being fit and available, were left out owing to what those in the know have described as “underwhelming performances in the format in the recent past”.
Pandey took to her Twitter handle to express her heartbreak via a blog which she perhaps wrote after she became the talking point of the Cricketing fraternity for dismissing Australia’s Alyssa Healy with a massive inswinger during the 2nd T20I of India’s tour of Australia in October 2021. Such was the delivery that it was termed as the ‘Ball of the century’ by some Cricket factions.
Perhaps in a bid to remind herself to keep her chin up, and not lose faith (as mentioned in her blog) via the sweet memories she has pertaining the aforementioned delivery, the Indian Air Force officer cum Indian Cricketer still had to express her heartbreak upon realization of her exclusion from the squad.
— Shikha Pandey (@shikhashauny) January 6, 2022
Pandey has played a total of 55 ODIs for India so far, and has picked up 75 wickets at an average of 21.92 and strike rate of 32.9 balls per wicket.
She last played an ODI in July, during the England tour, and was also part of the Australia tour that followed in September-October but didn’t make it to the XI in the One-Dayers.
The likes of Meghna Singh (3 ODIs, 1 wicket) and Renuka Singh (yet to make her ODI debut) getting picked over Pandey does invite criticism, especially without being provided with a reason for the latter’s exclusion.
India squad for 5 ODIs against NZ & ICC Women’s World Cup, 2022:
Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Renuka Singh Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.
