New Delhi, May 20: There might be an air of doubt about Mohammed Shami’s ability to last a five-Test series but erstwhile national selection committee members MSK Prasad, Devang Gandhi and Jatin Paranjpe are unequivocal that the ‘Amroha Express’ is a must-pick for the tour of England.
Shami has played nine IPL games this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad with only six wickets in his kitty and has gone for over 11 runs per over.
However it has been learnt that Shami has already started bowling with the red Dukes at the SRH nets with an eye on England tour, now that SRH’s play-off qualification hopes have been dashed.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
While the erstwhile committee members differed on their choice of vice -captaincy, they were unanimous that one can’t look beyond Jasprit Bumrah even though there remains a question mark on his fitness status.
The PTI now lists the “squad selected” by Prasad, Gandhi and Paranjpe individually and some of their insights into what made them pick their players.
MSK Prasad (former chairman of selectors)
“My captain would be Jasprit Bumrah as he has already proven himself as a leader. As far my vice-captain is concerned, I would like Shubman Gill to gain some experience as Bumrah’s deputy. In case you have a problem with Bumrah’s fitness then my choice is KL Rahul,” Prasad said.
“As far as my assessment goes, Nitish Reddy’s bowling will be more effective in England than it was in Australia. If we are taking 16, then I would want a left-arm swing bowler and my choice is Arshdeep Singh. I would like KL Rahul to bat No. 4 and my reserve opener would be Abhimanyu Easwaran.”
MSK Prasad’s India Team
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill (vc) 5. Rishabh Pant 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10. Mohd Siraj 11. Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 14. Washington Sundar 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Devang Gandhi (Former National Selector)
“I think it is surprising that there is a debate whether Mohammed Shami would make it to the Indian team. Unless he is carrying an injury. And IPL is not an indicator of someone’s Test match form. You need someone of Shami’s calibre in England. Obviously if he is not performing then you look at other options,” Gandhi said.
“For captaincy, it would be unfair if you don’t consider Bumrah for leadership. As far as Bumrah deputy goes, this is the time to show faith in Rishabh Pant as he has the best Test average in the current set-up. I would carry six specialist pacers in UK knowing that I have enough back-up for a five-match series.
“My extra batter will be Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has played a few Tests and at this point is in prime form. His technique and temperament both have undergone sea change. In my opinion, Iyer’s selection is a no-brainer and he should also be a part of playing eleven. We need to play six (including Rishabh Pant) specialist batters at the start of the series.”
Devang Gandhi’s India Squad:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill 5. Rishabh Pant (wk and VC) 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9 Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10 Mohd Siraj 11 Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Harshit Rana 14. Arshdeep Singh 15. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 16. Shreyas Iyer.
Jatin Paranjpe (Former National Selector):
“There is no one more ideal than Jasprit Bumrah to lead the national team in traditional format. My vice-captain would be Rishabh Pant, who has had a good record in SENA countries. Pant and KL Rahul are the two batters with two Test hundreds on English soil on their previous tours,” Paranjpe said.
“I feel in a five-Test series, it is better to carry an extra batsman and an extra all-rounder who can bat, hence Sarfaraz Khan and Shardul Thakur will be my picks.”
Jatin Paranjpe’s India Squad:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Shubman Gill 4. B Sai Sudharsan 5. Shreyas Iyer 6. Sarfaraz Khan 7. Rishabh Pant (wk) 7. Shardul Thakur 8. Ravindra Jadeja 9. Kuldeep Yadav 10. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 11. Prasidh Krishna 12. Mohammed Shami 13. Mohammed Siraj 14. Nitish Reddy 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Dhruv Jurel (second wk).(PTI)
