4 fast bowlers who might miss out on India's 2019 World Cup squad
Fast bowling has always been an Achilles heel for the men in blue. One could count the number of all-time great fast bowlers India has ever had in ODI cricket and still there would be few fingers left. In 2011, India were lucky to have the services of Zaheer Khan whose 21 wickets led the Men in Blue to the World Cup title.
As another World Cup knocks our doors, the question remains who is going to be India's next Zaheer Khan at the 2019 World Cup. Who are those men who should be deemed good enough to shoulder the responsibility of India's pace battery?
If the clock is turned back to 2013-14, the Indian pace attack was shoddy, unreliable and lacked penetration. Indian seamers in the past were known to leak runs. However, the men in blue have come a long way since then, making their pace battery as their prime strength in ODI cricket.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are the spearheads of the current pace unit. Hardik Pandya has always stood up and satisfactorily played the role of the third seamer. Young Khaleel Ahmed is making a mark in every game he is playing. India also have Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav who have been sparingly used in ODI cricket for last 24 months.
After the 2015 World Cup, India have been fortunate to see pace sensations emerging on the international arena. The IPL has done its fair bit to nurture them to face sterner tests. As Team India builds up towards the 2019 World Cup, there is a problem of plenty and hence some unlucky players might not make it to the big event.
Here are four fast bowlers who might miss out on being a part of India's 2019 World Cup squad.