'He won't play T20 WC. But India should definitely consider him for 2023 World Cup': Nehra's big prediction for IND star
Former India speedster Ashish Nehra, who enjoyed a stellar IPL season as head coach of Titans, said he would 'definitely' consider the pacer for next year's ODI World Cup at home.
IPL newbies Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals in the final to clinch the crown on debut in front of home fans at the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. During the expanded 10-team tournament, captain Hardik Pandya was the enforcer-in-chief, while senior pacer set it up for the Titans in the power-play overs. The seasoned pacer is often bracketed among the bowlers with the best seam position in modern-day cricket. (Also Read | 'No. Not happening. Sorry': Ex-India batter explains why Rahul Tripathi won't make international debut in Ireland T20Is)
With his new-ball prowess, Shami ended up picking 20 wickets in his first-ever spell with the Titans. For the India speedster, the secret to his success lay in bowling in the right areas. He will be next seen playing the on-off Test in England but it remains to be seen whether the team management tries him in shorter formats as well.
Former India speedster Ashish Nehra, who enjoyed a stellar IPL season as head coach of Titans, said he would 'definitely' consider Shami for next year's T20 World Cup at home. Nehra also feels Shami should play the three-game ODI series in England, beginning July 12.
"Seems like he doesn't feature in the current scheme of things for the T20 World Cup. But we all know about his abilities. Even if he doesn't play this year's T20 World Cup, India will definitely consider him for the 2023 World Cup at home. We don't have many ODIs this year and Shami is on a break at the moment after IPL. India can play him in England for the 50-over games after the Test match," Nehra told Cricbuzz.
Parthiv Patel also heaped praise on Shami, saying the pacer has evolved as someone who can bowl in all three phases of a game. After a highly successful spell with Punjab Kings, he moved to Titans, who bought him for a hefty sum of ₹6.25 crore in the mega auction this year.
"People used to say that Shami has the ability to bowl only with the new ball. But in the last two three years, he has shown what he can do in the death. When Shami was playing for Punjab, he was bowling well at the start but he also picked up wickets in death overs. No player is stagnant and we shouldn't put a stamp on him. Shami has definitely evolved as a three-phase bowler," said Parthiv.