"Should first see if we have players who can play in that fashion" - Saba Karim on India adopting Bazball approach
Former cricketer Saba Karim believes that India could successfully follow England's counter-attacking Bazball tactics by empowering their players to play fearlessly.
During a discussion on India News Sports, he pointed out that the side will have to identify a set of players who can play aggressive cricket. He opined that the team management should also be open to introducing newer guys into the setup if needed.
He explained:
"While it's easy to say that India should take a cue from England's Bazball, we should first see if we have players who can play in that fashion. If we do not have such players, we must first ensure how we can empower them, or maybe bring in new players who can fit in those roles."
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Notably, Brandon McCullum has successfully helped England stage a turnaround in Test cricket since becoming the team's head coach in red-ball cricket. Bazball has reaped dividends for the Ben Stokes-led side.
"You need to give your players complete freedom" - Saba Karim's suggestion to India's team management
Karim further went on to say that Rohit Sharma and Co. won't be able to change their brand of cricket unless they give complete freedom to their players. He mentioned that the selectors will also have to play a major role for the shift to happen.
Karim emphasized that batters like Suryakumar Yadav should be given consistent opportunities, as he is one of the few players in the current team who has played in an attacking manner in the recent past.
On this, Karim said:
"If you have decided to adopt an aggressive approach, you need to give your players complete freedom. India will have to choose their players accordingly and back them.
"This is why I am not happy that Suryakumar Yadav isn't a part of the ODI squad. Why are we giving him a break? We have very few players in our team who are batting in such an aggressive fashion."
Snapshots from #TeamIndia's first training session in Bangladesh ahead of the three-match ODI series.
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Yadav has been rested for the Men in Blue's next assignment. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be seen in action on Sunday, December 4, as they take on Bangladesh in the first ODI of their three-match series.