Former Pakistan cricketer Aamer Sohail offers India some suggestions that Pakistan could use to its benefit in the impending marquee clash in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The Men in Blue opted to play Shardul Thakur in place of Ravichandran Ashwin in the Afghanistan game ignoring experienced Mohammed Shami in Delhi.
With Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami is vying for a berth in the starting XI as the third-choice pacer, the Bengal pacer has the skillset to be part of the playing 11 for the Pakistan game with an impressive record in the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The Men in Blue will also have the option of bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin if there is some assistance for the spinners.
Speaking on the Cricket Pakistan YouTube channel, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Sami argued that Mohammed Shami should have been selected instead of Shardul Thakur due to his experience and propensity to bowl yorkers in the death overs.
“This is why we are saying that India’s squad is very balanced. If you look at the wicket, it had a bit of grass. So I think, two spinners was the right call. So they made that change looking at the wicket.
“But I think, instead of Shardul Thakur, they should have gone with Mohammad Shami. He is an experienced bowler, bowls the yorker well, and has good defensive skills. So, I think Shami deserved to play instead of Thakur,” Mohammad Sami said.
Aamer Sohail labelled the Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami as a “khatarnak” (dangerous bowler) and sarcastically suggested that India bowl against Pakistan with Thakur rather than Shami, which could help the Men in Green in the high-octane clash in Ahmedabad.
“(Shami ko Pakistan ke khilaaf na hi khilaya. Shardul ko hi khilaye. Khatarnak bowler hai). Let’s hope they don’t pick Shami against Pakistan. He is a dangerous bowler. Let them play Shardul only,” Aamer Sohail said.
If India does not bring three spinners for the game against Pakistan, Mohammed Shami can take the place of Shardul Thakur given his previous good record in the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Men in Blue might opt to bring in Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami for the game against Pakistan on Saturday.
