Asia Cup 2022: "Both Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh have been found wanting"- Reetinder Sodhi questions Team India's decision to take just three pacers in their squad
Former Indian cricketers Reetinder Sodhi and Saba Karim weren't pleased with the team's decision to pick just three frontline pacers in their squad for the 2022 Asia Cup. The likes of Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh were expensive against Hong Kong and this has raised quite a few questions over team selection.
Sodhi explained how every single delivery in T20 cricket is an event and how bowlers don't have enough scope to make a comeback if they get off to a poor start. He feels the Men in Blue can play an extra spinner at best instead of one of these pacers or show faith in the same XI once again.
Speaking to India News Sports, here's what the 41-year-old had to say about India's bowling attack:
"You always knew when you took just three fast bowlers that even if one of them is off-colour or has a niggle, there is no option to replace them. Both Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh have been found wanting.
"T20 cricket takes a turn on every ball and we have seen that against Pakistan when they got momentum due to Dahani's six off Arshdeep. So now the only option they have is to play an extra spinner or rely once again on these raw pacers."
Indian selectors have certainly made a mistake: Saba Karim
Saba Karim, a former selector himself, also questioned the tactic of taking two extra spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi instead of an extra pacer.
Hong Kong scored 53 runs vs Avesh Khan and 38 runs vs Pakistan
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The former wicketkeeper feels if the team management were keen to play three seamers, then taking a fourth one as a backup should have been a no-brainer. On this, he stated:
"When you were clear in your mind that you will play with three seamers in your XI, then why didn't you take an extra seamer just incase someone gets injured? The selectors have certainly made a mistake.
"If you want to play just two spinners then what was the need to take two extra options when you could have easily taken an extra pacer instead. Now they don't have many options left."
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