Talking on the eve of the IND vs SA 2nd Test, former India Cricket Team star Irfan Pathan has sent out alarm bells. The former all-rounder has claimed that India’s pace department needs more backups. Coming on the wake of the Boxing Day loss, Pathan pointed out the Team India lacks depart in the pace attack.
Apart from the batting collapse in the second innings, India’s bowling was sub-par in the match. Despite Bumrah scalping a four-fer, the other pacers, especially Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna were not up to the mark. Pathan has hinted in case of an injury for Bumrah, ther is no backup pool in India’s pace unit.
“India need to build a good fast-bowling unit. Look what happened in South Africa. The back-ups weren’t just ready. I won’t say that they lack quality, but since they weren’t ready, you felt Shami’s absence,” said Irfan Pathan to Star Sports.
Pathan was quick to point out that India’s backup were not ready as was spotted in the IND vs SA 1st Test. Pathan has urged the selectors to prepare the backup pool ready in the unfortunate case of any injuries to the main team players.
“So that means, god forbid, if something happens to Bumrah, who we have seen has suffered from an injury owing to his bowling action, we won’t find any bowler of his quality. So India need to prepare a pool of 7-8 fast bowlers either through talent hunts or through Ranji Trophy,” Pathan concluded.
Mohammed Shami missed the tournament with a knee injury. Now if Bumrah gets injured, the backup pacers don’t have the quality to replace the mainstays. Pathan has asserted that India needs to prepare a pool of 7-8 fast bowlers from their talent hunt program and the domestic cricket circuit like Ranji Trophy.
