Former Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, during an online conversation with Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel ‘Aish Ki Baat’, said that Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – all these senior fast bowlers are eligible to be contenders for the 2027 ODI World Cup team selection.
The Indian national cricket team is currently preparing for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup. Before the event, the team management is trying out combinations across all departments. The bowling combination against England in the 3-match ODI series did not look as promising as it should have been.
England destroyed the newly formed Indian fast bowling attack
For the 3-match ODI series decider at Lord’s on 19 July, the Indian cricket team included four fast bowlers – Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar – in the playing combination, which did not go as planned.
England’s batsmen easily won the match by scoring 387 runs in 50 overs against the Indian bowling line-up. Four pacers looked interesting in English conditions, but the grand reality was different.
Without Jasprit Bumrah in the line-up, who missed the match due to a knee injury, the bowling attack performed well without causing any significant damage to England’s batting order.
Ravichandran Ashwin backs Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup
Since the next ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, fast bowlers are expected to play an important role there. It was clear from the last match against England that the Indian team will have to take the support of those senior bowlers who have experience of bowling on South African soil.
Ravichandran Ashwin believes that senior bowlers like Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have performed well in the Indian Premier League and domestic tournaments in recent times, deserve to be in contention for the next ODI World Cup.
“I will tell you honestly. All the experienced bowlers, like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, they all have a good chance. The wicket will be slow in South Africa. Everyone has a chance. We talked about Mohammed Shami earlier,” Ashwin said in the video.
He said, “There are two things. How are people watching? And how do I watch? How do I watch? It’s difficult to tell because I am not in that place. But the point is that in this case, everyone has to be in contention.”
Ravichandran Ashwin asks BCCI to focus on coach appointment process
Ashwin points to another area where the BCCI should make some efforts to improve, which is the grooming of a coach. When a team moves from one coach to another, some fundamental changes are expected.
Ravichandran Ashwin wants to say that if the board prepares the coach in advance with the advice of the previous coach, then the period of change can be much easier than the current scenario.
“Who was the coach of 2023? Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid). Rahul bhai might have asked for a way till 2027. And if not, if Rahul bhai says I will stay till 2024-25, I will leave. Rahul bhai’s plan should be recorded. It should be documented that this is my plan. And it needs to be handed over. I have said this many times,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
