“With the amount of cricket that exists today, it is extremely important that you have the right balance of how much a player plays. When should he be rested? And there, a (BCCI) president can play a big role. Tomorrow, if A cricketer, to play for India, must be rested for a certain number of games in the IPL, so be it. Where, a (BCCI) president has to sit down with the franchise and explain that he is the first Indian player , and then the franchise,” emphasized Shastri while speaking to veteran journalist Ayaz Memon at the ‘Meet-the-Media event’ at the Mumbai Press Club on Wednesday.
“There could be discussions with the team management, which are the players who need rest, which, if they go ahead like this, will be force expended. And then take it up to the franchise. Either way Not happening the franchise way, but in a good way to tell them that he is an important player for India. National interest is paramount,” Shastri underlined.
He expressed concern over the frequent breakdowns of India’s leading fast bowlers despite prolonged rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. “It was the most disappointing thing for me (as India coach), when you lose key players to injuries. We toured England and New Zealand twice. On all those tours, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was injured. , where he would have got a bag. Wickets with his skills. Now, you see Chahar has hardly played, and he is injured. I was looking at the stats, Bumrah played 5 matches since the last T20 World Cup And he is injured. So, you have to look at it very seriously, why is this happening,” Shastri said.
Shastri insisted that as BCCI President, Binny should also focus on improving facilities for spectators in stadiums. “Binny is a very sociable person, he has a mind of his own. He may not be a playful type, but when he opens his mouth, I am sure he will be heard, especially on matters of cricket. A field which He will see and Indian cricket should look into the fact that you have to make Indian cricket a spectator friendly game, so for me, the most important thing is that the facilities on the ground should be upgraded in a big way. The kind of money that comes in the game, the kind of people who come in the field, they should get the best facilities. If this happens, the popularity of the game will increase even more.” Shastri insisted.
Shastri was naturally pleased that his 1983 World Cup-winning teammate Roger Binny was now set to become the president of the BCCI. “I am happy, because he was my ally in the World Cup. There is consistency because he was the President of Karnataka State Cricket Association. So, he goes on to become the President of BCCI. And I am extremely happy because he is a World Cup ally. The winner is the one who is the President for the first time in the history of BCCI. His credentials are undeniable. He has ticked all the boxes to take up this position,” praised Shastri.
‘I will crack Surya in Test cricket’
Shastri’s path would have been a great batsman Suryakumar YadavHaving been in fine form in T20Is, scoring 1,045 runs in 34 games @ 38.70 at an impressive strike rate of 176.81, will soon make his Test debut. “I would love to give him a crack at Test cricket as well. If I was captaining the team, he would have been too much in the mix for me. Just to surprise the opposition in the middle order and take the game away (from) He) I mean there is no rule that he cannot play in the biggest format of the game.”
Explaining what makes ‘Sky’, who is currently the No. 2 batsman in T20Is so unique, Shastri said, “A combination of everything, but what I love about his game is his game.” And the reading of the bowler’s mind. He is playing the bowler’s mind, with the bowlers’ field. He has the audacity to try to hit the ball against which the field is placed, which means you need to get into position early. So, I think his anticipation, reading what a bowler does, plays a big part in his batting, and he’s been fantastic at doing that. You’ll see some of the shots that he plays. I’ve seen a lot Haven’t seen players playing those shots. AB (de Villiers) in his prime probably did that for a while. You don’t hit a ball through the middle and back foot on the screen! I mean, it’s our Was an unheard shot at the time. But he does it so smoothly and regularly, that you have to take your hat off to him. He can light up the T20 World Cup. .”
‘This is India’s best batting line-up ever’
Shastri lavished praise on India’s current batting line-up, calling it “the best India in T20Is in the last 6-7 years”. “I think it is as good a batting order as India had in T20 cricket. Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) at No. 4, Hardik (Pandya) at No. 5, Rishabh/DK at 6, they have made a huge difference. This allows the top-order to play the way they are, which is tremendous—they’re attacking the opposition. Where, if you’re 2-down in the powerplay, you still have ammunition Back, to pick up the bowlers consistently, which was not the case for a while,” he congratulated.
Shastri felt that India’s flamboyant, star-studded batting line-up would give them a huge chance of winning the T20 World Cup, starting in Australia later this month. “Australian tracks suit their batting. We are one of the best batting sides in the tournament. And once you have the best side of the tournament, no matter what your bowling or fielding, you have a chance to win the cup. You Qualify for the semi-finals, your batting is quick, you can beat any opponent on that day.”
Pointing out the reason for India’s fielding slowdown, Shastri said, “For a long time, we were among the best fielding sides in the world. I think the emphasis on fitness becomes very important. -Yo (Test). People laughed at him. Yo-yo was never there for selection, it was creating awareness among players: ‘Get fit. And it’s only better for you.’ It made a huge difference. Not only in the way he played, but the way he went on the field. I mean, the number of run outs he can score is unreal anywhere. And what is worrying is that. How many times have you let the opposition score over 200 in the last few months. People will blame the bowling. It’s also the fielding, where if you save those 20 runs, 200 becomes 175-180.”
“Come what, I see India as a new team after this T20 World Cup, the team that went to South Africa for the World Cup in 2007, when there was no Tendulkar, Dravid or Ganguly. , and MS Dhoni captained the youth team in the first T20 World Cup. It can happen.”