India’s World Cup team has already been assigned 13 players for the competition. Surykumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami have yet to get a chance, R. Ashwin has only participated in one game, and Ishan Kishan filled in for Shubman Gill in two games.
Given that all of the players are in excellent form and that only 11 players can be selected for the starting lineup, this situation was somewhat inevitable. It does present a challenge for player management, though. How does the team management handle the situation where big palyers who have won games in the past, like Ashwin and Shami, are benched?
“Communication and conversations,” remarked Paras Mhambey, the team’s bowling coach. “Honestly, it is never an easy decision.”
With a strike rate that few other bowlers can match, Shami has been among the best in white-ball cricket. He also has the most World Cup wickets among active players for India. With 1116 games under his belt, Ashwin has taken over 700 international wickets. Then there is the issue of Kishan, who has two centuries, and Suryakumar, the top batter in T20 internationals and middle-order x-factor.
We had direct conversation with him or them, Mhambrey said. “We send a very clear message whenever we choose a squad, that we select the team we believe is best for that wicket. The bowling coach explains the team’s operating system and says, “And I think sometimes you will miss out. Mohammed Siraj has surpassed Shami to take over as the preferred pace bowler behind Jasprit Bumrah, while Ashwin is now third among the spinners behind Ravidra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
Someone like Ash miss out, just like Shami is missing out. And I believe that is the clear communication we have with him. It is a difficult decision to make, even with the quality he brings to the team, the new ball, and the death. You only have an XI on the field, so you must make that choice. You must make that difficult decision; it is one that must be made. However, I believe that for us, the focus has always been on the team and what decisions we’ve made over the course of the last few years as well as this game.
When they on the field, Shami, Ashwin, and Surya consistently displayed impressive body language, giving the XI their full support. During one particular game, Shami was observed conversing with Siraj close to the boundary line. Siraj was Successful in getting a crucial wicket in the very next over. Coach Rahul Dravid, who emphasizes the value of communication even at the risk of criticism as was evident with the Wriddhiman Saha episode, has fostered this exceptional camaraderie within the team.
Former chief selector MSK Prasad, who himself believed in communicating with players in selection or non-selection, says, “He does that always. He does not have to. Many players in Indian cricket have openly stated that they were not informed of their exclusion on numerous occasions. However, communication began under Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli’s previous administration, and the Dravid-Rohit team has advanced this to a new level.
The skipper insists on adhering to the same principles of openness and communication. “That’s the challenge going forward for us as a team, depending on what kind of conditions we play in,” Rohit stated recently. “We will be prepared with that if there are one or two changes we need to make. And these kinds of changes have been fully disclosed to the guys in advance. Therefore, I don’t anticipate any player-related issues.