New Delhi: The Indian national selectors are set to meet in Mumbai Monday to pick the squad for the 2019 World Cup and the topic high on everyone’s list is whether M.S.K. Prasad and team will go with Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant as the second wicket-keeper and batsman for the showpiece event.
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Jacques Kallis said that if he was the selector, he would pick Karthik. While many would think the former South Africa all-rounder would be biased about the KKR captain, Kallis explained his choice.
“I would pick DK for his experience, in the World Cup you need experience. He knows how to play situations and he can control the middle-order and bat at a good rate. Not too many dot balls and India would be silly if they didn’t pick him,” he said.
Coming to KKR, one man who has dominated the show this season is all-rounder Andre Russell and Kallis feels that the player has learnt the art of playing situations and that has made him all the more dangerous this year. In fact, he even added that the West Indian is a bigger hitter than the legendary Viv Richards.
“He has been really good. He has come up leaps and bounds in the last year. He has learnt a lot about his own game and the nice thing is that he can now play different situations a lot better. He wants to do well and is hungry to do well and that is an asset for the coach. Other guys want to emulate him,” he said.
“It is difficult to compare eras. Obviously Viv at his time was way ahead of the rest, but probably not as good as Andre Russell. But like I said, it is not fair to compare eras as conditions change, the way the game gets coached changes,” he added.
“However, in terms of hitting I think Andre is the best I have seen. Certainly hits the ball powerfully and got a great technique for that, and has worked hard on it. On his day he is a difficult batsman to bowl to as he can hit you no matter who you are,” he pointed.
IANS
