Aakash Chopra, a former Indian batter, questioned why there were just three seamers in the team when it was chosen for the 2022 Asia Cup. He also thinks that Mohammed Shami, a pacer, ought to have been included in the group of 15, who will compete in the continental competition beginning on August 27. Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are among the fast bowlers in India’s lineup, which was unveiled on Monday, August 8. According to Chopra, Avesh and Shami were in a close competition for the third option, but Arshdeep and Kumar were obvious picks.
He claimed that Avesh and Shami should both have been chosen because four pacers are required. “My question is that the Dubai pitch and the September month, it helps the fast bowlers,” said Chopra. “There is a lot of grass on the pitch. The pitch does not change for the entire tournament; there is consistent help for the fast bowlers. We saw that in the IPL and have seen it repeatedly. So, what is the issue?” Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah were two other fast bowlers who were expected to make the team. Both Patel and Bumrah are out of the contest due to injuries, with Patel suffering from a side strain and Bumrah suffering from a back ailment.
“Mohammed Shami, where are you? Avesh Khan and Mohammed Shami seemed to be in a close race, or you might have chosen both since, in my opinion, four fast bowlers are required, the former Indian opener continued. Chopra added that there was a chance for Shami to reach the Asia Cup team considering the manner he played for India in the past and in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. He picked up 20 wickets in 16 games with an economy rate of 8.00 for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022. “I think he was phenomenal. If you can bowl like that with so much experience, I thought this opportunity was there for the taking,” said the 44-year-old.
