At a press conference held in Srinagar, Shikhar Dhawan was asked whether Jammu-Kashmir cricketers get fewer opportunities in the national team because of bias, and he flatly rejected the suggestion.
What Dhawan said about selection
Responding to reporters, Dhawan said, "No, there is absolutely no discrimination." He explained that a player's performance is what ultimately defines them, and that no one can keep a player out of the side if they are playing well enough. At the same time, he acknowledged that luck can sometimes influence who gets picked. According to him, this isn't an issue unique to Jammu-Kashmir, similar situations have played out with players from Delhi and Mumbai too, where a deserving cricketer missed out and someone else was picked instead. He called it simply a part of the game.
Pro Star Cricket League season two unveiled
The press conference had actually been called to announce the second season of the Pro Star Cricket League. The tournament is scheduled to begin in the first week of March next year, opening in Srinagar with the final to be played in Dehradun. At the event, Dhawan was named the league's "Iconic Player" alongside Jammu-Kashmir cricketer Parvez Rasool.
Rasool and Umran Malik cited as examples
Bringing up Parvez Rasool, who has represented India and played in the IPL, along with pace bowler Umran Malik, Dhawan said both players had been given an excellent platform to showcase their talent. He stressed, however, that the most important thing for any player is to keep performing consistently once they reach that level, since getting a platform alone isn't enough, sustaining that form is the real test.
