India's limited-over vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes the World Cup selection should not be made considering the performance of a player in Indian Premier League (IPL). ICC has asked the teams participating in the mega event to submit their teams before the end of April. The ICC World Cup 2019 is set to begin on May 30 in England and Wales.
The selectors are keeping a close look at the IPL to examine their performance. "With their inputs, the selectors will keep an eye on what is happening with those guys in IPL although I feel IPL should not be the criteria for team selection," he said.
"They have played enough international matches to see where each individual stands. You can't select a team for the 50-over format from a 20-over event, it's my personal opinion. IPL is a different ball game. It's franchise cricket and yes, form matters a lot.
"In the last four years, we have played enough One Day International matches, enough T20 cricket. That should be enough for guys to understand these are the players that we want," he added.
Rohit, however, admitted that IPL has helped him to prepare for the World Cup. IPL will end on May 12, days before the tournament.
"Every time we play IPL, there is some big event right after happening - a big Test series or big one-day series. It does help also. 35-plus or 40 guys will probably need some rest. I was talking to Jasprit (Bumrah) the other day. He needs to play a lot of matches and bowl a lot to be match fit than be at home. I also, as a batter, need to play," Rohit said.
The Indian cricket team has a solution for all the roles, except the number four position. Rohit feels it's Indian captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri who will have to come up with a solution.
"I think we are pretty much settled. A few spots are there which everyone knows about. It all depends on what captain, coach, and selectors think about the combination, whether we need to go with an extra middle-order batsman, extra opener, extra seamer or spinner. Conditions in England will matter a lot," he said.
"I know how it works with the captain. The preference of the captain is very important in terms of that extra player he wants in the squad. I think Virat and (Indian team's head coach) Ravi Shastri have to decide what exactly the combination that they want or what extra player or where is that extra cushion they are looking for. That is something that will matter the most."
Rohit feels the team would need an extra spinner considering they have the idea of the conditions when India last played there around the same time. "Last summer when we were there the conditions were really dry. But we don't know whether it will be the same (during the World Cup). If it is (the same) we need an extra spinner there - it's as simple as that," he said.
"If it's not, probably we will need an extra seamer there. I also understand we would not know what the weather conditions will be (but) we have to select the team in the next few days or weeks, actually."
(With PTI Inputs)
