Why is L. Balaji being ignored?

February 02, 2006
Lack of fight galling

Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at the Indian batsmen for a spineless performance in the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan.

It was never going to be easy to survive for almost two days but what was utterly disappointing was that India could not even bat out the day and lost well before closing time on the fourth day itself. For far too long, there have been the so-called experts who have been talking about how attacking batting is the only way to win. That may be true, but there has to be the ability to be able to lower a few gears and bat to save a game that can’t be won and so live to fight another day by surviving.

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Aaqib Javed, former head coach of Pakistan’s National Academy, talks about how Mohammad Asif showed character to bounce back after being dropped. Aaqib, who worked with Asif for 3-4 months at the academy, also feels India missed the services of Lakshmipathy Balaji.
"After he [Asif] had played just one Test, the selectors turned around and said that he wasn’t good enough. They said that ‘he doesn’t have the quality to bowl at the international level. In fact, Asif hasn’t had an easy time at all. When the selections for the regional cricket academies were being made in 2000, his name didn’t even figure among them. Javed had to present his case to just get him included in that academy.
"When you look at Asif bowl, you instantly recognise his talent. He has the height, a good wrist action and it is rather difficult for the batsmen to pick him because he gets movement in the air and off the pitch too. So there are times when the ball moves one way in the air and does the complete opposite off the pitch. The only Indian bowler who does that is L Balaji and he isn’t here".