Amit Mishra opened up about his frustration over inconsistent selection, hinting at favouritism in the team. Despite being in and out, he remained committed to honing his skills and delivering whenever given a chance in his international career.
Former India spinner Amit Mishra has made a massive claim on the bias in the team selection after announcing his retirement from cricket. Mishra pulled the curtains on his career, bidding adieu to all formats of the game on Thursday, September 9. The 42-year-old last played for Team India in a T20I match against England at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2017.
Amit Mishra was one of India’s key spinners across all formats of the game, known for his leg-spin variations and knack for taking crucial wickets in high-pressure situations. After making his international debut for Team India in a TVS Cup match against South Africa in Dhaka in 2003, the veteran spinner went on to play in 36 ODIs, 22 Tests, and 10 T20Is.
The retired Indian cricketer has enjoyed his success in Tests and ODIs, having picked up 76 and 64 Tests, respectively. In his maiden Test and last ODI appearances, Amit Sharma picked five wickets against Australia and New Zealand in 2008 and 2016, respectively, leaving a memorable mark at both the start and end of his international journey.
‘Some players are captain’s favourites’
Having made his Team India debut in 2003, when the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, and others were still around, Amit Sharma did not receive a lengthy run in either of the formats he played. In his 14-year career with India, Haryana cricketer played only 68 international matches.
Speaking to Press Trust of India (PTI) following his retirement announcement, Amit Mishra admitted that he was frustrated for not getting a consistent run and being in and out of the team throughout his career. However, he further claimed that certain players were selected for the team due to being the captain’s favourites.
“It was a very disappointing thing. Sometimes you’re in the team, sometimes you’re out. Sometimes you get a chance in the playing eleven, sometimes you don’t,” the 42-year-old said.
“Of course, it’s frustrating, and I was frustrated many times, no doubt. Some players are captain’s favourites. But that doesn’t matter much. You just have to prove yourself whenever you get a chance,” he added.
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Amit Mishra played 52 matches under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli across all formats of the game at the international level, delivering crucial performances with the ball whenever he got the opportunity. Mishra’s last game of his India career was under Kohli’s leadership, registering figures of 1/23 at an economy rate of 5.75 in his full quota of four overs.
Never gave up despite inconsistent chances
Despite being in and out of the Indian team in his 14-year international career, Amit Mishra put in his hard yards to keep getting better and better. The retired Indian spinner stated that he always focuses on improving in fitness, bowling, and batting.
“Whenever I was frustrated, I thought about what I could improve on. Whether it was my fitness, batting, or bowling, I always focused on getting better,” Mishra said.
Whenever I got a chance to play for the Indian team, I performed well, and I’m very happy about that. I never shied away from hard work,” he added.
In his international career, Amit Mishra has 156 wickets, including 4 four-wicket hauls and 3 fifers, at an average of 28.62 and an economy rate of 3.69 in 68 matches. He was also the Indian team that participated in the T20 World Cup in 2014, where Amit Mishra received the Player of the Match award for his bowling performance against West Indies.