‘Who will say no..’: Mohammed Shami opens up on T20 World Cup selection for India
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 only a couple of months away, getting selected for the Indian squad has become a point of discussion among players and experts.
Joining the bandwagon, India’s most successful pacer in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 – Mohammed Shami – opened up on his plans for the tournament, to be held in the West Indies and the United States.
The Indian team will take on Ireland in their first match of the tournament on June 5 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in the US.
As Shami has been out of action since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup due to an ankle injury, his return is expected in the T20 World Cup 2024.
According to him, the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be key to him.
“There’s still a lot of time. There’s an IPL before that. Whoever is playing well should be picked for the T20 World Cup. It’s important to select the team basis the combination. If I’m performing well, I should be selected. Who will say no to the World Cup?” News 24 quoted Shami as saying.
Not only Shami but senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have also been rested for the three-match series against Afghanistan.
On Hardik Pandya’s move from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, Shami said, “Kisike jane se kisiko farak nahi padta (See, it doesn’t matter who is leaving). You have to see the team’s balance. Hardik was there, he captained us well. He took us to the final in both editions and we won once. But Gujarat hadn’t signed Hardik for a lifetime. It’s his decision to stay or leave. Shubman is made captain now, he will also gain experience. Some day, he might also leave. And it’s a part of the game. Players come and go.”
“When you become captain, it’s important to handle the responsibility while taking care of your performances. And that responsibility has been assigned to Shubman this time. He might have some load in his mind, but the players are more or less the same. So he doesn’t need to worry. You need to manage players well and extract the best out of your players,” he added.
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Published: 17 Jan 2024, 04:48 PM IST
