ACCORDING to former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, shuttler Lee Zii Jia has yet to earn his stripes to be considered Malaysia's No 1.
Unimpressed with Zii Jia's recent form at the Asian leg of the World Tour in Bangkok, Chong Wei believes the 23-year-old has much to prove before he can be compared to some of Malaysia's best, including himself.
Zii Jia failed to live up to expectations in both the Thailand Opens, crashing out in the quarter-finals and first round respectively.
"I may have retired, but I still keep in touch with coaches Hendrawan and Tey Seu Bock.
"I asked both of them, what happened to Zii Jia? He doesn't seem to be playing with any fire, and they both agreed.
"Perhaps there is a lot of pressure on Zii Jia as everyone has started comparing him with me, but that comes with the tag. When you are the national No 1, you need to live up to it," Chong Wei told Timesport.
There was much hype surrounding Zii Jia, especially after reaching the semi-finals of the All England last year and breaking into the world's top 10.
But Kedah-born was a far cry from his best in his most recent match with India's Sameer Verma, in which he squandered a massive 12-3 lead in the second game, to lose 18-21, 27-25, 21-19 in the opening round of the Toyota Thailand Open last week.
"I must admit, I have not been in a situation like this pandemic. Having not played in a major tournament for months and then, having to deal with all the strict standard operating procedures must be really hard.
"However, other players are still able to cope with it so that cannot be an excuse surely.
"When I was banned for eight months (2015), I was determined to come back stronger. That's the fire I'm talking about.
"I also don't think Zii Jia is a young player anymore because at 23, you should be playing consistent badminton.
"Zii Jia needs to take a hard look at his recent performances and bounce back stronger if he is truly Malaysia's No 1," said Chong Wei, a three-time Olympic silver medallist.
Despite being critical of Zii Jia's poor outing, Chong Wei has not lost hope in his compatriot.
"If there is one positive to take away from the Asian leg is Zii Jia still has time to come back. This is only the first month.
"He needs to pick himself up and come back stronger.
"He still has the World Tour Finals to play in, but his confidence may be very low at the moment, and that is understandable.
"He has nothing to lose. Even if he doesn't do well, take it as a lesson.
"Being the national No 1 comes with responsibility. You need to earn it," Chong Wei added.