Is absence of specialist keeper hurting J&K?

Srinagar, Dec 8: Questions are mounting over Jammu & Kashmir’s team selection and playing XI combination after the side was forced to field without a specialist wicketkeeper-batter for back-to-back matches in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Cricket observers have pointed out that the absence of frontline wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan, who is reportedly said to be injured, has visibly unsettled the balance of the team. What has triggered sharper criticism is the decision not to bring in another full-time wicketkeeper-batter available as a replacement.

Instead, Abdul Samad, primarily a batting all-rounder, was handed wicketkeeping duties in consecutive matches, a move that has surprised many within the cricketing circles.

According to former players and some cricket observers from the valley, tracking the team’s performances, told Greater Kashmir that Samad’s temporary role behind the stumps has “not provided the stability and assurance” J&K would have ideally expected in pressure situations.

Experts and observers argue that the dual strain of batting and makeshift wicketkeeping can impact a player’s primary skill, specially in high-intensity T20 fixtures. “You can’t expect a part-timer to offer the same efficiency, reflexes, or game awareness as a trained wicketkeeper,” a former cricketer remarked, adding that it also affects field placements and bowling plans.

The absence of a second specialist wicketkeeper in the playing XI has raised broader questions about decision-making within the team management. Critics say the situation reflects “avoidable oversight” at a time when J&K needed clarity and stability in roles, particularly with the batting order already facing scrutiny this season.