'Indian cricket has gone backwards’: Mohammad Kaif blasts selectors for Shubman Gill situation

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif unleashed sharp criticism against the Ajit Agarkar-headed selection committee, slamming their inadequate strategy ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. On his YouTube channel, Kaif tore into the committee's approach to Shubman Gill.“They knew there were better players, I am talking about the T20 format. Just this one. There were better players than Gill. So it was the mistake of the selectors. They have made a mistake and Indian cricket has gone behind. For two to three months, you could have invested in Jaiswal, Samson, and Jitesh,” he said.Kaif stressed how those lost months alongside Suryakumar could have built Axar's readiness for bigger responsibilities before the World Cup.“It is a loss for Axar Patel who returns as vice-captain and for the Indian team as well. The squad is still solid and there is no doubt. But if Axar had continued as vice-captain, he would have been a part of this team meeting, and he would have gotten time to work on his leadership. "Let’s assume Surya gets injured, then if Axar had had those two to three months as vice-captain, he would know more about his team and the players. If he has to captain, he would have been better prepared, so that opportunity was taken away from him,” remarked Kaif.Kaif acknowledged dropping Gill was correct in the end, but lambasted the timing as evidence of "zero planning." Sticking with an unproven player in 17-18 fruitless outings wasted precious preparation and sidelined ready alternatives.“You carried Gill till the very end and then dropped him. I feel it is the right call. It came late, but it was right. The planning is zero. There is no planning. It has been a waste of time in the name of planning. You backed that player who is not ready now. "There were better players than him who should have played. It was your mistake as selectors. Now you had no other choice but to remove him. This has happened very rarely. "There was no option left as he did not score in 17-18 innings, and how many more chances would you give him? The pressure was increasing. No one wanted to drop him, but I feel it has been a waste of time for Indian cricket and those players who should have gotten the opportunity.”