Salman Butt, a former Pakistan captain, believes the Indian selectors made the right move by adding all-rounder Shardul Thakur in the 15-man roster for the T20 World Cup in 2021. Butt emphasized that Thakur has constantly done well and has earned his spot on merit.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released their final T20 World Cup team, which includes Thakur in place of Axar Patel. Previously, the latter was a member of the traveling reserves, while Patel was a member of the main squad. Along with Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar, the left-arm spinner will now be part of the standbys.
“It had to happen. Shardul Thakur had to be picked for the T20 World Cup. He has been claiming wickets consistently and has been contributing with the bat as well. In England too, he performed really well. He has the momentum of performances. In the IPL, Thakur and Harshal Patel picked up wickets in almost every game. But batting gives Thakur the edge when it comes to selection.” He stated
Hardik Pandya
India had selected too many spinners in their initial team, according to the 37-year-old. He also acknowledged that Thakur’s selection was influenced by concerns about Hardik Pandya’s bowling ability. Salman Butt
“India had picked too many spinners in the squad, as many as five. If three spinners can’t do the job, the fourth and fifth too will not be able to do anything. This is equivalent to playing eight batters. This move to bring in Thakur makes a lot of sense, especially considering the fact that there is no surety about Pandya’s bowling.” Butt added
“Test cricket, that too in England, is a lot tougher. The way he batted in England was really impressive. He can score at a good strike rate and is claiming at least two wickets with the ball in almost every game. The services of such an in-form player had to be utilized. His No. 1 reason for selection is his ongoing performance, then there are other add-ons.” He explained
Thakur has taken 31 wickets with a strike rate of 14.60 and an economy rate of 9.11 in 22 T20Is so far.