Mumbai: Rishabh Pant might have created a new record for an Indian wicket-keeper by taking 11 catches in a Test in Australia, but former stumper Farokh Engineer says the Delhi youngster has a lot of technical problems in his primary job, while praising the left hander’s batting heroics.
Engineer said Pant reminds him of his young days. “His approach is same as MS Dhoni’s. But don’t praise him sky-high at the moment. Encourage him. (But) he’s technically so incorrect,” said the one-time flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman at Legends Club’s talk show at the Cricket Club of India here Wednesday evening.
Pant’s flamboyant batting exploits, however, have impressed Engineer so much that he wondered how the Indian selectors can afford to leave him out in favour of the seasoned Dhoni for this year’s World Cup in England.
I don’t want to sound harsh. Give him (Pant) time. He will improve. I wish I could have a couple of times with him to make him a good wicket-keeper
Farokh Engineer
“Question is, for the World Cup will you pick Dhoni? How can you drop Pant? He’s done so well. These are the questions for the selectors. The three selectors who between them must have played one and a half Tests,” he said, before he was corrected that there was a five-man selection panel now with two more additions to the list.
Explaining further, Engineer said Pant snatches the ball, gets up too early and does not move his feet. “A good keeper moves his feet, goes to the ball and does not dive all the time; uses his feet all the time,” Engineer said.
“He’s young he will learn from mistakes. Keeping is not taught, it’s a natural thing. He has to iron out certain elementary things. I love his approach, but the way he got out in the first Test when India were in trouble was stupid,” he said.
press trust of india