Indian cricket team batter Shreyas Iyer has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he will be taking a ‘break from red ball cricket’ due to stiffness and fatigue issues in his back, according to a report by The Indian Express. Iyer, who was the captain of India A, pulled out of the second unofficial Test against Australia A. While the reason was not known at that point, the report revealed that Iyer decided to make a formal plea to the BCCI in a mail after consultation with chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
The report added that Iyer informed selectors about the stiffness in his back and made it clear that ‘his body cannot take the toll of the red ball cricket anymore’. Iyer reportedly cannot stay on the field for more than four days because of his fitness and he intends to play red ball cricket only when his body will allow him to play the longer format.
“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in coming months and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in future in consultation with physios and trainer and take a call on it,” a source confirmed to The Indian Express.
According to the report, Iyer was also in contention for the upcoming Test matches against West Indies. He was reportedly included in the India A squad in order to get some match practice. However, the development means that he will not be a part of the series anymore.
Iyer did feature in the first India A match against Australia A, scoring 8 and 13 runs respectively. In the match, Iyer also seemingly became a victim of poor umpiring call against spinner Corey Rocchiccioli.