Page 66 - CineBuster Vol-3 Issue-04

S PORT

Farokh EnginEEr SayS

Wriddhiman Saha iS BEttEr WickEt-

kEEpEr than riShaBh pant’S SElEction

ovEr nEW ZEaland

F ormer Indian cricket team wicket-keeper Farokh the same time, also needed to get some runs. Had he tried to

Engineer believes that Wriddhiman Saha is a better be flashy, he would have been ostracised for throwing away
wicket-keeper than Rishabh Pant but Pant is an his wicket. The poor chap was in a dilemma. But when he was
overall package. While Pant has not played a number at sea, that’s when he should have tried to get behind the ball
of limited overs matches in the recent past, he was and play some shots. If I was captain, I would have told him
preferred over Saha in the recently concluded Test series to play his natural game more. He was playing an unnatural
against New Zealand. However, the youngster failed to impress game,” he added.
with his bat and that earned him a lot of criticism from experts
and fans alike. Engineer said that Pant was in a dilemma while Nayan Mongia, who also kept wickets for India in both Tests
batting and was playing an ‘unnatural game’. and ODIs, had a clear favourite when it came to choosing
between Pant and Saha as he insisted that the wicket-keeper
“Purely on wicketkeeping skills for a Test match, Saha is a position should be kept for a specialist.
better choice. If you compare the batting aspect, Pant can
change the complexion of a game. So, playing Pant was not a “I have always maintained that if Saha is fit and performing, he
bad idea. I wouldn’t say it was a disaster. He didn’t do anything should be playing in Tests. I have no second thoughts about
wrong behind the stumps,” Engineer said as quoted by Mid- this. It looks like the team management is looking for a batsman
day. more than a wicketkeeper. Wicketkeeping is a specialist job in
Test matches whether it is the spin or pace-friendly situation,”
“He [Pant] kept getting beaten. He had to save the Test but at Mongia said. n

62 CINE BUSTER n MARCH 15 n 2020