da dobrowin： All-rounder Robin Singh on Sunday rejected reports that he wasplanning to retire from international cricket and said he wasperfectly fit and raring to make a comeback
19-Aug-2001All-rounder Robin Singh on Sunday rejected reports that he wasplanning to retire from international cricket and said he wasperfectly fit and raring to make a comeback.”I have no immediate plans for retirement. I am fit enough and hopingfor a comeback,” Robin Singh told PTI in Jaipur.The selectors, of late, have refuted his claims for a place in thenational side on grounds that he is well past his prime and youngstersmust be given a chance.Robin Singh said though many youngsters had been tried recently, theyhad failed to perform consistently.”Youngsters have been tried recently but they have not beenconsistent. There have only been a few good scores by them,” saidRobin Singh, who turns 38 next month.”May be the youngsters got their places in Indian team easily and didnot have to work hard for it and that is why they look complacent,” headded.The left handed all rounder said India’s dismal performance againstZimbabwe and Sri Lanka showed that the players were “lacking inapplication”.”Against the much stronger Australians, the Indians had shown muchbetter application but recently their approach has not been positive.May be when our players go abroad, the failures of the past haunt themand they come under pressure and commit mistakes. There should be amore positive approach,” he said.The unassuming player regretted his omission from the national squadand said: “Sometimes I feel opinions are made before hand. Players arelabelled and treated accordingly. Why bother about the age if a playeris performing. Merit alone should be the criteria for selection”.Brushing aside his disappointment, Robin Singh said he failed tounderstand how the team could lack in motivation. “Playing for yourcountry is the biggest motivation. Earlier, cricketers were gettingpeanuts but now they get so much money and fame and playing for thecountry is an honour in itself”.Robin Singh, who has to his credit many a match-winning performance,said the players should be made to earn their places in the side inorder to make themselves mentally tough. “The players should be madeto earn their places in the Indian side. Let them compete for a placein the team and if they go through the hard way then strength andtoughness will come automatically. But they also need to applythemselves. It is a long process and it comes through struggle,” hesaid.On the spate of injuries to players, Robin Singh said, “You shouldknow your own body. I am fit because I worked hard and knew therequirements of my body. You have to work hard for fitness and harderto maintain it”.He refused to put the blame for failures of the team on skipper SouravGanguly and said “he may be in bad form but it is a collective gameand every body has a responsibility”.He admitted that the team was over-dependent on star batsman SachinTendulkar. “Sachin’s absence should not be an excuse because all teamshave to go without their star players at some time or the other. Thosewho are playing should show commitment”.