"Arshdeep Singh's a basic bowler, opposition doesn't even think about such bowlers" - Aaqib Javed
Former Pakistani cricketer Aaqib Javed has called India's left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh a "basic bowler". He said Arshdeep lacks any "trademark" skills for T20s and claimed opposition teams don't even prepare for him before matches.
Since making his IPL debut in 2019, Arshdeep, 23, has impressed as a smart bowler who, despite his sub-140 kmph pace, can bowl at any stage and especially accurately in death overs. He showed those skills by picking up five wickets in five matches in the recently concluded Asia Cup, where faltered in the Super 4 stage.
Javed, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs but no T20Is, said Arshdeep needs to have a distinctive factor like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah to succeed at the international level. He explained:
"He's a basic bowler. See, in T20Is, either you need Bhuvneshwar Kumar-type swing or you should have pace or you should be very tall with brilliant yorkers. These are the trademarks that work.
"Among bowlers around the world, if you think of Bumrah, you'll immediately think of his yorkers and short-pitch bowling, Pandya has a lethal bounce, Shaheen's inswing comes to mind, Haris Rauf's pace. Bowlers like Arshdeep are just bowlers. They don't have a trademark. Opposition doesn't even think about such bowlers."
Overall, Arshdeep has 14 wickets at an average of 20.14 in 11 T20Is. In the IPL, he has 40 scalps from 37 games at 27.35.
Arshdeep Singh in India's T20 World Cup squad
Despite coming under criticism, Arshdeep was included in India's squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, which will begin in Australia next month. He's part of a four-pronged seam attack that includes Bumrah, Kumar, and Harshal Patel.
T20 World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh.