Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram Monday said that India’s youngsters “wasted” their opportunity by their inconsistent performances in the One-day series against the West Indies.

India won the series 3-2 but the West Indies did well to reduce the margin of victory.

It was a good chance for the likes of Subramaniam Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel and Manoj Tiwary but they all ended the series with ordinary performances.

Akram said Indian cricket is rich with talent and it was disappointing to see the young guns could not deliver in the absence of senior players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan.

“India may have won the ODI series 3-2 against a new-look West Indian side, but I don’t think the selectors will be happy with the performance of some of the fringe players who made the ODI squad because a clutch of seniors were unavailable,” Akram was quoted as saying by ESPNSTAR.com.

“Indian cricket is full of talented players and an opportunity wasted means you may never wear the national cap again. At the same time, any international assignment is a test of your ability. The West Indies team may not have looked great on paper but they did well to reduce the victory margin,” he added.

The legendary fast bowler also said that it will be tough for the future generations to emulate players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

“The fact that Rahul Dravid is completing 15 years of Test cricket at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica only strengthens the belief that the fittest survive in this amazing game. Men like Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman are true legends. They have lasted because of their discipline and of course, their eagerness to perform at every available stage,” he said.