'It's harsh': Virender Sehwag questions Rohit Sharma's exclusion from Australia tour

Veteran cricketer Virender Sehwag slammed Rohit Sharma's exclusion from India's upcoming tour of Australia, calling the move to drop him 'harsh'.

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Sehwag said that the tour was a long tour and Sharma was an important player. "During my days in cricket, the rule was that the fitness report of players would be seen on selection day. I don't know if the rule still applies, but back then, if you were not fit on selection day, you would not be picked" he said, adding that not picking Sharma on the status of his fitness on the day of selection is 'harsh' on the player, considering the tournament is far away and a long one.

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When asked about the status of Rohit Sharma's injury, Sehwag said that the media should be asking why he was on the ground at all if he were injured. "They say Sharma is sick, but he was sitting in the stadium when his team was playing in Sharjah. A sick man can't come on to the grounds, and needs rest to recover. Therefore, he is not sick and the problem is something else. The team should issue a statement."

A video was shared by the team, showing Sharma trying to get back to batting. However, no one has explained the extent of his injury. "These days, Rohit can just post one line on his social media and that would become a statement in itself," Sehwag said.

The manner of BCCI’s functioning has also left Sunil Gavaskar, who is in Dubai for his IPL commentary duty, demanding more transparency from the BCCI with regard to player injuries. He was particularly intrigued seeing Rohit batting in the nets.