Saurashtra cricketer Sheldon Jackson slammed the selectors after being dropped from India A squad that will take on New Zealand A in three four-day matches.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, 35, was left disappointed after being ignored despite delivering, with his age being cited as the criteria.
"If I am thinking of playing for the country and I am not even picked for the Duleep Trophy because someone feels I am too old, how am I going to reach over there? I was expecting to get picked for India A. There's nothing wrong in expecting it, and you don't pick me for Duleep Trophy is inexplicable. As a professional, you always strive to upgrade yourself to a higher level. It's demoralising when it's stalled for reasons beyond my control," Jackson told Sportstar.
"Why is age even a criteria to get picked? If it is, they are taking away the dreams of at least 25 to 30 per cent of domestic cricketers who are in the mid-30s," he added.
"I am not being the voice for them but I am speaking myself. You cannot stop someone from dreaming of playing at a higher level. I have been advocating this for quite a long time now."
He went on to hit out at age being a selection criteria, and said that it has "just become a ploy to not pick someone".
"Now when I am 35, I am being tagged as old but I have been hearing this since I was 31. Now they have picked more than six who are older than 30, so how is it justified then? Back then, I was told no one above 30 was picked. But when a performer is picked for the country in his mid-30s based on his performance, why isn't it adopted for domestic cricket?" Jackson said.
"I think it's just become a ploy to not pick someone. When you don't really have any other reason, you cite his age."
He also said that while he has an image of being a "frustrated cricketer", he is a "happy person" who enjoys his life.
"Many times I have heard that he is a frustrated cricketer who is venting out his angst. I am a very happy cricketer and a happy person who has a loving family to go back to. I enjoy my life and I feel asking questions for which we don't get answers is justified as a professional. That doesn't have anything to do with my space of mind," he said.
