Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has said that mostly all available pacers have been picked for the Duleep Trophy. However, he again added that Umesh Yadav hasn’t been given a chance, with Mohammed Shami unavailable due to his injury. However, the Duleep Trophy is scheduled to begin on September 5. The selectors announced the four squads for the first round of the tournament on Wednesday, August 14 as well.
While talking about the squads in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “All fast bowlers available in India have been picked. Of course, Mohammed Shami is not there in these teams. (Ravindra) Jadeja and Axar (Patel) are also playing. Umran Malik – I am very happy for him. Arshdeep (Singh) is playing – I feel they are thinking whether he can be prepared for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
“Since there is no idea about Mohammed Shami’s fitness and availability at the moment, all fast bowlers in India barring Umesh Yadav have been tried. I don’t see Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal also in this. So it seems like some things are developing in a certain way,” the former India opener further added.
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Umesh Yadav has failed to impress in seamer-friendly conditions on the first day of last year’s World Test Championship final against Australia as well and he hasn’t since been picked in the Indian team yet. On the other hand, Chahal, who is currently playing county cricket has never played Test cricket and is potentially not in the radar for the longest format as well.
However, while reflecting on Morne Morkel’s appointment as India’s bowling coach, Aakash Chopra added that he has heard positive things about him from the Lucknow Super Giants camp.
“Morne Morkel is becoming this team’s bowling coach. He was with Gautam Gambhir in Lucknow (Super Giants) and he liked him. He would have told the BCCI that he wanted him. I have heard good things about him from the Lucknow camp. Personally, based on whatever I have interacted with him, he is a very kind-hearted, soft-spoken kind of person. Could be actually a good one. So I am looking forward to how Morne Morkel prepares the team as the Indian coach. I think the thoughts are about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and then the matches in England next year, five Test matches each. So you have started preparing with that point of view,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
