While the Indian selection committee is busy shortlisting the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, veteran Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has named the set of players he would like to see taking the flight to England.
Harbhajan hasn’t refashioned the opening pair but somewhat solved the middle-order riddle for skipper Virat Kohli. He has named Jadhav and Rayudu for the same along with Dinesh Karthik.
Further, he picked Umesh Yadav in the pace brigade and also opined that going by the English conditions; Ravindra Jadeja could be an all-rounder option.
“If you remember, during the 2017 Champions Trophy, the weather in the UK was hot and humid. So, if conditions are same, Jadeja could still be used as a package, if the opposition team has five to six right-handers in their line-up. Play him as No.6 with Hardik Pandya as No.7. Also, he is still your best fielder,” Harbhajan had told PTI during an interview.
At the same time, Bhajji backed Vikay Shankar but didn’t name Rishabh Pant in the squad. Shankar turned out to be impressive with some promising outings in the limited opportunities he got in Australia and New Zealand.
Surprisingly, the Indian offie didn’t include those players as well who have been eyeing a return through the forthcoming mega world tournament.
Harbhajan Singh’s 15-man squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup:
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Dinesh Karthik, Umesh Yadav and Vijay Shankar. Probable: Ravindra Jadeja