"Why have they kept him in the squad?" - Danish Kaneria questions Avesh Khan's selection in India's ODI team for Zimbabwe series
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes Avesh Khan shouldn't have been a part of Team India's squad for the forthcoming ODI series in Zimbabwe.
He pointed out that the pacer hasn't been able to make an impact in his recent appearances. Kaneria questioned the Indian selectors for naming him in the squad, despite his underwhelming performances.
The 41-year-old further added that there was no point in having the likes of Avesh Khan and Ishan Kishan in the team if they were going to be benched. He made these remarks while speaking on his YouTube channel on Saturday (July 30).
He said:
"Avesh Khan hasn't performed well in the opportunities that he has got. I want to ask the selectors why have they kept him in the squad. Is he there to be on the bench? Is Ishan Kishan also there just to warm the bench?"
Khan made his ODI debut during the recently concluded series against West Indies. The right-armer went wicketless in his only appearance and gave away 54 runs from nine overs.
#TeamIndia for 3 ODIs against Zimbabwe: Shikhar Dhawan (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
"This was a good opportunity for the selectors to give him another chance" - Danish Kaneria on Indian pacer Umran Malik
Tearaway pacer, Umran Malik, has played three matches so far in his career. He made his debut against Ireland and was also a part of the squad for the England T20Is last month.
However, he failed to retain his position in the side as he was dropped from the team for the ongoing five-match T20I series against West Indies. Kaneria feels that the selectors should have given the speedster another chance by naming him in the team for the Zimbabwe tour.
The ex-cricketer further added that the Indian think tank could have added Arshdeep Singh to the squad. He suggested that the bowler will only get better as he plays more games in international cricket.
He stated:
"India have rested senior pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. Umran Malik was a bit inconsistent in his initial games. But this was a good opportunity for the selectors to give him another chance."
He added:
"Arshdeep Singh also couldn't find a place in the squad. The team management must play him consistently so that he gets more mature as a player."
Watch Kaneria's full video here:
Shikhar Dhawan is set to lead the Men in Blue in the ODI series against Zimbabwe. The first game of the rubber is scheduled to be played at the Harare Sports Club on August 18.