World Cup 2023: Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey spills beans on the absence of Mohammed Shami from India’s playing XI
Team India have been off to a blazing start in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, notching up three consecutive victories against Australia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. With a strong showing in all facets of the game, India’s performance has been lauded.
India’s journey in the World Cup has been nothing short of spectacular, with commendable performances in batting, bowling, and fielding. The team has displayed a balanced approach, securing victories in every outing thus far.
Paras Mhambrey provides insights
However, the absence of pace spearhead Mohammed Shami from the playing XI in all three games has sparked discussions and left fans and experts pondering the rationale behind this decision. Ahead of India’s crucial match against Bangladesh, India’s bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, provided some insights into the decision-making process behind Shami’s omission.
Mhambrey acknowledged that leaving out a player of Shami’s caliber is a difficult decision for the team management. However, he shed light on the critical role that wicket conditions play in determining the composition of the playing XI.
“See, honestly, it is never an easy decision. But I think the conversations are around, we had a clear chat with him. Whenever we select a squad, the messages from us are very clear. That we pick a squad we feel is the best for that wicket. And I think sometimes you will miss out. Someone like him is missing out, someone like Ash will miss out. And I think that’s the communication that we have with him, we are very clear. Difficult decision, honestly, even with the quality that he brings to the team, new ball, death, it is difficult to take that decision. But you have to take that decision, you only have eleven on the field,” Mhambrey explained during a pre-match press conference.
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Each match has equal importance
Regarding India’s upcoming game against Bangadesh, Mhambrey reckoned that the team aims to approach each game with the same level of seriousness, whether it’s against a traditionally strong team like Bangladesh or a less-favored team like the Netherlands.
“I think honestly, I thought when you enter a World Cup, every team will pose you a challenge. So, from our perspective, maybe any team I don’t think we’ll take anyone [lightly]- that’s the discussion that we had. That’s one of the points that we spoke about can happen, but from our point of view, every game – because we are the only side playing on nine different teams, nine different venues, nine different surfaces that offer different challenges for us. So, we want to prepare for that. So maybe Bangladesh or maybe the Netherlands, I think we want to treat that game equally important,” added Mhambrey.
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