Chairman of the senior selection committee, Sandeep Patil accompanied by BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, talks to the media Friday
New Delhi: Uncapped young all-rounder Pawan Negi was the lone new face, while injury-prone pacer Mohammed Shami was also named in the 15-member Indian squad as the selectors sought Friday to strike a balance between youth and experience while choosing the teams for the Asia Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup.
A brilliant clean sweep against Australia ensured that the core of the team was left untouched by the selectors, who opted to retain veterans like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra. Young players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya also found a place in the squad announced by BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur after a meeting of the selection committee here.
“This is the best combination of 15 we can think of,” chairman of the committee, Sandeep Patil, said in a press conference after the meeting.
The selectors have taken some risk by picking the 25- year-old Shami who is still undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring injury which forced him to return from Australia without playing a match. “Shami has 30 days before the World T20. We have time in our hands to take a call on Shami. He has been one of our best bowlers. For now, I can only say that he has recovered and started bowling,” Patil stated. PTI
