Ever since the announcement of India’s squad for the ODI World Cup 2023, one name has dominated discussions within the Indian cricketing community – Sanju Samson. The talented wicket-keeper batsman found himself excluded from the 15-man squad for the World Cup and was also not selected for the Australia ODI series. As fans debate whether Samson deserved a spot in India’s ODI team, particularly for the Australia series, former India pacer S Sreesanth expressed his disappointment at the ‘sympathy’ the player is receiving.

“I think it’s the right decision because it’s very important for a player to understand himself,” Sreesanth stated in an interview with Sportskeeda. “From Gavaskar sir to Harsha Bhogle sir and Ravi Shastri sir, everyone rates him highly. There’s no doubt about his ability. But the approach… he doesn’t listen when someone asks him to play according to the pitch. He can change that attitude.”

Sreesanth revealed that he had even spoken to Samson about his approach on the 22-yard strip. Nevertheless, the former pacer remains disappointed to see the wicket-keeper batsman failing to exhibit the kind of consistency expected from a player of his caliber.

“Whenever I meet him, I tell him just one thing: ‘Sanju, please read the wicket. Wait, don’t go after every bowler. Think. You can hit anyone, anywhere, anytime; just wait for the opportunity,'” he added.

Samson boasts a significant fan following, and Sreesanth acknowledges this fact. However, the 2011 World Cup-winning India speedster believes that Samson is receiving plenty of sympathy from his fans but not the level of appreciation for his performances required to excel at the international level.

“All of the Malayali people who support him, including me, say he doesn’t get chances. We can’t say that. He got chances against Ireland, Sri Lanka; he has been playing in the IPL for 10 years. He has been playing since 2013, has been the captain too, and has scored just three centuries, and he hasn’t shown consistency,” he continued.

“I’ll say, ‘Waqt kiske liye nahi rukta’ (time doesn’t stop for anyone). Everyone talks about time, I’ll also tell the same to Sanju. A lot of good people are coming in. Even the two keepers going for the Asia Games (Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma). When everyone’s talking about you, make it count. Getting sympathy is very easy, but appreciation is difficult,” he said.