Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is perplexed by Mohammed Shami’s omission from the Indian T20I squad. In light of the current playing conditions in the United Arab Emirates, Shastri stated that the team required an additional element among the pacers (UAE).
The team led by Rohit Sharma entered the Asia Cup with three frontline pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, and Arshdeep Singh. According to the team composition, Hardik Pandya is the third or fourth-choice fast bowler. Due to Avesh’s illness, Hardik has been forced to fill in as the third pacer for the majority of the competition.
Given that Deepak Chahar had been training with the squad, the management had the option of calling in Cricket Id Online as Avesh’s replacement. They chose, however, to wait for the Lucknow Super Giant (LSG) pacer to recover. Shastri slammed the think-tank for ignoring Shami, saying, “When you need to win, you have to prepare better.” I believe the selection could have been improved, particularly for the fast bowlers. You are aware of the circumstances. The spinners don’t stand to gain much. I was surprised that you only brought four fast bowlers.
I’m seeing a different reason for Shami to be ignored – Shastri
“You needed that extra one,” he added. I’m perplexed by someone like Mohammed Shami who sits at home and cools his heels. Not being able to make the cut after the IPL he had is… Clearly, I’m seeing things differently.”
Shami has not been a part of the team’s plans in the T20I format since the World T20 last year. In the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, he was the leading wicket-taker (20) for champions Gujarat Titans (IPL). Shami’s economy in the powerplay (6.62), on the other hand, was a stark contrast to the same in death overs (9.63). India’s problems in the last two games have centred on a lack of incisiveness near the end of the innings. Nonetheless, Shastri was adamant that Shami’s presence could have benefited India as well.
“No one wants to sit out. Of course, there is a concept known as workload management. To some extent, I agree with it, but I believe there are some drawbacks to it as well. I believe that when you are in good form and rhythm, you should not stop playing. Of course, I believe that taking a break for the sake of recovery is necessary at times. “Betting Id,” the former head coach explained, according to ESPNCricinfo.
India could have used an extra pacer in their squad
India’s 15-man squad includes four spinners: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Shastri believes that instead of one of these spinners, they could have used an extra pacer. “You don’t want to be stuck in a situation where one of your teammates has a fever and you have no one else to play with.” You have to play another spinner, which can be humiliating in the end,” the former head coach added.
On Thursday, India will face Afghanistan in their final Super-4 match, which will be a virtual dead rubber. The Rohit Sharma-led team will play six Twenty20 Internationals, including three each against Australia and South Africa, before kicking off their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 23rd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).