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SA vs IND: I Think There Must Be Only Indians Voting In There, No One Else – Ravi Shastri Baffled By Broadcaster’s ODI Team Of The Year

by Avinash Harish
India Cricket Team
India Cricket Team Credits: Twitter

Cricketer-turned-commentators Ravi Shastri and Vernon Philander were caught surprised when the official Indian broadcaster for the South African tour announced its Team of the Year, which was selected by public voting. The team of the year consists of the majority of the Indian players rather than World Cup winners and top-quality performers in World Cricket.

The official Indian broadcaster for India’s tour of South Africa announced its ODI Team of the Year, which included eight Indian cricketers. The team is determined by popular vote and the players, who obtain the most fan votes deserve a spot on the year-end team.

Former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri expressed his surprise at the exclusion of Rashid Khan from the team of the year during a media interaction. He raised questions about the omission of high-quality and top-performing players like Mitchell Marsh, Rashid Khan, and Quinton de Kock, considering their brilliant performances throughout the year.

Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri Credits: Twitter

“It’s a joke. Rashid Khan… does he play? I think there must be only Indians voting in there. No one else. Mitchell Marsh, Rashid Khan, Quinton de Kock. One player from the World Cup-winning team in Adam Zampa? What a No. 7.

“Rashid is one of the best around. For him not to make the cut there, is unbelievable. Jadeja is the best all-rounder. Him and Rashid would have been the ideal combination across all surfaces in the world,” Ravi Shastri said.

The team’s opening pair will consist of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, followed by Virat Kohli at No. 3 and Daryl Mitchell at No. 4.

The middle order will comprise KL Rahul at 5 and Heinrich Klaasen at 6. Adam Zampa will take the No. 7 spot, while Kuldeep Yadav will be the other spinner at 8. The fast-bowling unit will consist of the Indian trio of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah making it to the XI.

If I Was Glenn Maxwell, I Would Feel Really Hard Done By Selection – Vernon Philander

Vernon Philander expressed his doubts about the final selection of the XI for the cricket team. He was at a loss for words and found it hard to agree with the decision. He believed that Glenn Maxwell and Quinton de Kock would be extremely disappointed by the selection.

“If I am Quinton de Kock, I’ll be highly disappointed to be missing out on selection. With his last year in ODI cricket and to sign off in the way he did… I tell you what. He is an incredible player. I understand that all these guys are worthy of selection; they’ve had a wonderful year, especially the Indians,” Vernon Philander said.

Vernon Philander
Vernon Philander Credits: Twitter

“Virat brings stability. But for me, maybe an Aiden Markram. David Miller is another name. Glenn Maxwell, how can you leave him out? He saved Australia from the death. There are just so many to pick from. If I was Maxwell, I would feel really hard done by selection,” Vernon Philander added.

However, the final XI didn’t mention Glenn Maxwell, who played an outstanding innings against Afghanistan in the World Cup. Also, David Miller and Aiden Markram, who have done extremely well in the white-ball format of the game, were not considered.

Fans were not impressed with Quinton de Kock, who played brilliantly in the World Cup. Rashid Khan, Mitchell Starc, and Shaheen Afridi also failed to impress the fans.

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