- Asmita Saxena
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy- After the Covid-19 Cricket has been changed to a different scale. With new rules and 6 players have to keep restricted in a bio bubble environment to play cricket without any hurdles. But this is the first time cricket has been scheduled around the world across the formats.
Things are not easy for the players, selectors, and match officials to follow such tight guidelines every time to be part of any cricket game. Recently, the former Indian batsman Murali Vijay has decided to not take the vaccine as the cricket board has made it mandatory for players to take the vaccine.
Murali Vijay is the part of Tamil Nadu team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and after his decision to not take the dose of vaccine the team officials of Tamil Nadu haven’t considered him for the team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
BCCI always takes security as the priority of players and match officials and encourages the players to follow strict guidelines. But the final and last call is in the hands of players to follow the rules.
“BCCI has set the rules for every player to get vaccinated before the tournament.The player has to be in the bio bubble for a week after that but Vijay is afraid to take the vaccine. So we are not considering him for the tournament,” Selectors highlighted.
The opening batsman has played the red-ball cricket for team India and scored 3982 runs in test cricket. Apart from that the last time Vijay was part of any competitive fixtures was in IPL 2020 for Chennai Super Kings.
While after the pandemic Vijay was not the part of remaining IPL season which was conducted in UAE and made himself unavailable for the franchise. Vijay has written to the selectors about his unavailability for the franchise and the domestic team.
The last time Vijay represented Tamil Nadu was in 2019 in a Ranji game against Karnataka. Now according to the report’s if the batter has to the part of the team after taking the vaccine he has to prove himself.
“In a meeting, selectors don’t even discussed about Vijay to be part of the team and it’s tough for him now to get back into Tamil Nadu team for domestic season. Even if he is ready for the vaccine he has to prove himself in fitness and in the matches to be there in the dressing room of Tamil Nadu,” selectors say.
Murali Vijay has scored 144 against Australia in Australia on Day one of Brisbane test of Border Gavaskar trophy. Vijay was the second Indian to do after Virender Sehwag on Day one of test match.
Another one from the same tour when Murali Vijay got out on 99* this was probably the best phase of Vijay career.
Vijay has the technique but again it’s the selectors and captain’s choice to have the players of their choice in the team. Only time will tell if he can play for team India again.