"With such depth, you feel proud as an Indian" - Aakash Chopra on Jay Shah's statement
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has given his opinion on BCCI Secretary Jay Shah's statement about the possibility of India simultaneously fielding multiple teams in the future.
Shah has claimed that the depth in Indian cricket is special. With the help of the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), VVS Laxman, the BCCI wants to make a roster of about 50 players ready to represent the country.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra explained the pros and cons of this decision in detail. He said:
"Our Honorable BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had said that with the help of VVS Laxman, who is the head at NCA, they are preparing a pool of 50 players. With such depth, you feel proud as an Indian. But you need to take this with a pinch of salt."
The depth you're talking about may not be really there: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra recalled India's tour of Sri Lanka last year. The Men in Blue sent a second-string side while the main team was preparing for the Test series in England.
A number of new names like Chetan Sakariya and Devdutt Padikkal made their debuts. However, many of them don't seem to be anywhere near the selection radar at the moment.
The 44-year-old spoke about how India lost both Tests as well as the three ODIs against South Africa in early 2022. Chopra believes that would have given the management a 'reality check' about the depth in Indian cricket. He stated:
"India had sent a second-string side to Sri Lanka where the likes of Chetan Sakariya, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad made their debuts. After whatever happened on that tour, we were very bullish that we would field two teams and win everywhere."
Chopra added:
"But India couldn't win a single game in South Africa in 2022. So suddenly you realized that the depth you are talking about may not be really there. That was like a reality check."
From last-over heroics in the 1st #WIvIND ODI courtesy @mdsirajofficial to rocking some dance moves ft @ShreyasIyer15, presenting a fun interview that oozes swag 😎😎 - by @28anand
Full interview 👇
bcci.tv/videos/5557247… #TeamIndia https://t.co/4rou4918Zi
India are still experiementing with their depth and have rested some of their key players for the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies. With a lot of cricket to be played between now and the T20 World Cup, we could see more new faces as the management looks to manage senior players' workload.