The Indian selectors walked a safe path to choose the team for the World Cup campaign. As expected, Chetan Sharma’s committee chose the team.
Return of two pacers
Two pacers – Jasprit Bumrah, and Harshal Patel returned to the World Cup team after recovering. Akshar Patel got a chance to replace the injured Ravindra Jadeja. Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been kept in the team. But Mohammed Shami was not included in the 15-man squad for the World Cup. This pacer is on the standby list. There is another pacer Deepak Chahar on the list.
Questions have started to arise as to why Shami was not included in the final World Cup squad. Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Mohammad Azharuddin expressed surprise about this. Shami, however, has been included in the T20 series against Australia and South Africa at home before the World Cup. But that does not stop the question. It is thought that if Shami returns to T20 cricket, then why not go to the World Cup?
Cricketers’ remarks about Shami’s position
Former India opener and former head of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth told the channel that broadcast the World Cup, “If I was the chairman of the selection committee, I would have taken Shami to Australia. The World Cup will be in Australia. Shami has pace, and bounce. Can turn the game at any time. Can take wickets at the start.” Another former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin tweeted, “Surprised not to see Shami and Shreyas Iyer in the main team.”
Srikkanth also said instead of he would have kept Shami on the team. In the words of the former devastating opener, “I would have put Shami in place of Harshal Patel. Harshal is a good bowler. But Shami is the ideal bowler for the World Cup stage on Australian soil. Shami played very well in the last IPL too. And this is the World Cup. So Shami would have been in my team.” The media also started raising questions about Shami’s absence. Besides, cricket fans are also raising the question of why Sanju Samson is not there.
The T20 World Cup is going to start in Australia on October 22. Before that, India will play two T20 series at home. Opponents Australia and South Africa. The three matches of the Australia series will be held on September 20, 23, and 25 respectively. Games against South Africa on 28 September, 2 and 4 October. After that, India will also play a three-match ODI series against South Africa.
Shami can be seen playing in these two T20 series. Hardik, Bhuvneshwar, and Arshdeep will attend the National Cricket Academy’s conditioning camp during the series. That’s why they may not go to all the matches. Australia has added Shami and Deepak Chahar to the squad for the series against South Africa.
Leg-spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Shreyas Iyer are also on the World Cup standby list. “He is young,” India’s legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar told a TV channel about Bishnoi.