BCCI officials weren’t happy with Sanju Samson’s decision to not participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The cricketer was in the reckoning for the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan and UAE but due to his no-show in India’s premiere List A tournament, things got complicated. The national selectors are expected to meet soon to finalise the squad for the England ODIs and Champions Trophy and ahead of that, BCCI is likely to investigate Samson’s absence.
The keeper-batter didn’t confirm his participation in the tournament and that led to Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) dropping him from the squad. Secretary Vinod S Kumar noted that the governing body didn’t want a youngster to sit out over Samson’s uncertainty. As per reports, a probe will take place before January 19 and a decision on Samson’s international future will be decided in the meeting.
“The selectors and the board have been very clear on the importance of domestic cricket. Last year, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer lost central contracts for missing domestic matches without seeking permission. Even in Samson's case, the board and selectors were not given any reason why he missed the tournament. All that is known so far is that he spends much of his time in Dubai,” BCCI sources told Times of India.
Notably, the 30-year-old has been picked for the T20I series against England, starting January 22. However, since it’s a different format, Samson is not yet confirmed for ODIs, particularly with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul available for selection. However, it is believed that Rahul has handed in a request to not consider him as a keeper in longer formats as the player battled a few hamstring concerns in the last couple of years. It may open the door for Samson
BCCI however expects a valid reason for Samson for missing Vijay Hazare. Else, his participation in the ODI season may get compromised, despite backing from the team management.
“The selectors would want a valid reason. Otherwise, it will be difficult to consider him for the ODI season. Samson has had a bitter history with the KCA, but that needs to be sorted out for him to play in domestic cricket. It can't be that the state association and him have a misunderstanding, and he misses out on game time. He did play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy preceding the Vijay Hazare Trophy," the source added.