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New Delhi
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has said veteran off-spinner Ravi Ashwin doesn't deserve a place in the white-ball cricket team. Yuvraj's statement comes as India is preparing for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in June later this year in the USA and West Indies. Notably, Ashwin was part of India's ODI World Cup 2023 squad but managed to play only one game, that is, against Australia in Chennai.
"Ashwin is a great bowler but I don't think he deserves a place in ODIs and T20s," said Yuvraj to media outlet Times of India. The retired all-rounder further expanded on his views and reasoned that the spinner doesn't offer anything with bat or fielding to get a place in the white-ball team.
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"He is very good with the ball, but what does he bring with the bat? Or as a fielder? In the Test team, yes, he should be there. But in white-ball cricket, I don't think he deserves a place," said Yuvraj.
India are currently playing T20I series against Afghanistan and Ashwin isn't a part of it. The off-spinner will, however, play in the upcoming home Tests against England which starts January 25. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named four spinners in the squad announced for the first two England Tests to exploit the conditions with Ashwin among them.
England's red-ball vice-captain Ollie Pope has also conceded that there's going to be 'outside noise' about the pitches on their upcoming Test tour of India.
“There will be a lot of outside noise,” Pope said while talking to the Guardian.
“And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can,” he added further.
India squad (first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan