Former Australian speedster Brett Lee believes that Hardik Pandya has to play in Indian XI as a genuine all-rounder so that the team has a strong bowling attack in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE.
He stressed that Pandya “needs to start bowling” and if he isn’t fully fit, then Team India should look at different options to have great chances to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Lee told PTI in an exclusive interview, “A strong Indian team is a strong Indian team with Hardik Pandya bowling if he is fully fit of course. If he is not fully fit, you might have to look at different options, but I believe that he has to be in the team as a genuine all-rounder.”
The former pacer added, “He has to bowl, he has great skills, he bowls well at the death, he can hit the yorker, bowls good bouncer, wonderful change of pace, so he is that kind of guy, who adds an extra bit of spark to this Indian team.”
He also opined on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lack of pace, saying the seamer must hit speeds in the late 130s and needs variation in order to be effective in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Lee noted, “Look, Bhuvneshwar's great ability was to swing the ball both ways. Not many fast bowlers around the world can shape the ball both ways, and to be effective on these wickets, Bhuvneshwar has to bowl close to 140 kmph per hour. I think he needs to bowl quick and he needs variation.”
The Aussie also felt Bhuvneshwar missed the trick against Pakistan as he was trying too many things and erred in length and hopes he will correct the mistakes in the next game.
He further explained, “I think he missed a trick the other evening and he may have tried a few different things. Bhuvneshwar is effective when he bowls that beautiful length at knee-roll height and the ball comes in to give him lbw or caught behind. Hopefully, he gets that right next game.
If it's Sharjah, the length of one's delivery has to be a fraction back because there isn't a lot of bounce. At the end of the day, what you are trying to achieve is to bowl a ball where it hits the top of off-stump and whether it's pitched at 6 and half or 7-meter length.”
However, Lee was impressed with Mohammad Shami’s bowling in T20 cricket lately since the pacer bowls that “ideal Test match length”.
Praising Shami, Lee said: “Someone like Mohammed Shami has done exceptionally well in T20 format recently. I watched him in IPL and the reason he has done well is that he has hit that Test match length. Now, what is a Test match length? Test match length on any track is the length that is in between the cusp of fuller and good length. So I believe that a good Test match length with the brand new ball in early overs can bring success.”
He backed Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja to remain in India's playing XI as the two front-line spinners in the ongoing T20 World Cup and suggested R Ashwin should only be added to the side if there is a fast bowler not doing well in the tournament.
Lee further noted, “Chakravarthy is a quality spinner with wonderful leg break, good top spinner, and a wrong 'un and he is in form. But when you think about Ashwin, he is also world-class but I still believe you should go in with three in-form fast bowlers who are doing the business.
Then you have Chakravarthy as your fourth bowler and Jadeja, who is a proper all-rounder and a specialist spinner. These should be the five bowlers but yes if they feel one fast bowler isn't doing the job then obviously Ashwin comes into the play.”
He also spoke about Australian opener David Warner's form with the bat as his struggles continue in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Lee said on being asked if Steve Smith should replace Warner at the top, “No. Look David Warner is like a fine Jacob Creek's vintage wine which gets better with age.”
The Aussie added, “The reason I have backed him throughout the IPL was that the behavior he faced was atrocious, and being stripped off captaincy and not being played in XI and not allowed to go the stadium, is not the way to treat a genuine out and out 'Orange Cap holder.”
He signed off by saying, “Warner is one of the first players to be picked in the Australian cricket team and he will open and he will score runs. The great thing with Steve Smith is that he is a floater, he can bat at 3, 4 or can also open the innings but you don't need to.”
(With PTI Inputs)
