No better option than Md. Shami: Irfan Pathan on how India can fix bowling woes ahead of T20 World Cup
Should Mohammed Shami return in India's T20 squad.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Indian team should recall senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami in their T20 squad if they have to fix the issues in their bowling department ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. India's bowling let them down as Rohit Sharma & Co. suffered their second straight defeat in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Tuesday.
Indian bowlers struggled against Sri Lanka as they failed to pick up early wickets in the Powerplay and conceded runs heavily in the death overs as well. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya were all taken to the cleaners as India failed to defend the total of 173 runs in Dubai.
As India stand on the brink of early elimination from the tournament, Pathan has made a bold suggestion, asking the team management to bring back the experienced Mohammed Shami. Shami is currently not part of India's plans in T20Is but has been a regular member of the Test and ODI squad.
Pathan feels Shami is the best option India have if they want to improve their prospects with the new ball as he has the form and the experience to come and deliver straightaway.
“The team you chose, you didn’t use the sixth bowler, and you didn’t get the result you wanted from the other five bowlers. Now there is an opportunity here whether a bowler can come in the World Cup race who can help the Indian team. I feel if you are looking for only the new ball, you will not get a better option than Mohammad Shami," Pathan said after India's six-wicket loss against Sri Lanka.
“There are a lot of bowlers who have raised their hands, there are options, but they are young and inexperienced. If you see experience and form, Mohammad Shami is furthest ahead," he added.
Despite losing the first two games in the Super Four stage, India still have an outside chance of making it to the final if they can beat Afghanistan by a huge margin in their final encounter. However, Pakistan will have to lose their remaining two matches for India to stand a chance of qualifying for the final.