Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary said that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will have to shoulder the blame in case Shivam Dube is not selected in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
That is because Tiwary feels the CSK franchise is not letting Dube bowl much in the ongoing tournament and the left-handed batter can only qualify for the team as an all-rounder alternative to Hardik Pandya.
Tiwary questioned Hardik's role as a bowler so far this season in IPL, with the MI captain bowling only one over in the last three matches. The former Bengal captain feels if Hardik wants to seal his place in the squad for the T20 World Cup, then he'll have to prove his bowling credentials.
"If he wants to play in the Indian T20 World Cup team as an all-rounder, he has to bowl. Look at his economy rate. It's almost 11. He is not performing this season," Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.
Tiwary also stated that if Dube does not make the T20 World Cup squad, his IPL franchise will be held responsible for his absence, as CSK has used him as an impact substitute this season.
"With this form, Hardik won't be picked in the T20 World Cup. See, Agarkar is a strong character and hence can take those bold decisions. And if Dube is not picked in the T20 World Cup, CSK will be responsible for it, because they are not allowing him to bowl. I have been saying this for a long time, if you want a replacement for Hardik, get Dube ready," he added.
Tiwary also said that Dube is a "clever" bowler, pointing out his exploits in the T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this year.
"At one time we also had Venkatesh Iyer. Suddenly, both of them stopped bowling. We should be looking at the bigger goal. We are talking about the World Cup here and India hasn't been able to lift that trophy for a long time. So we have to plan for that ahead of time. Now Hardik is not in form and if you pick Dube in the squad, how much he can perform as a bowler is not known. But as far as I know, Dube is a clever bowler. Remember that T20I series at home against Afghanistan," he further explained.
