"He will definitely play in this World Cup" - Sanjay Manjrekar on veteran seamer's place in India's ODI side

Sanjay Manjrekar feels Mohammad Shami will definitely be a part of India's ODI World Cup squad. However, he believes the veteran seamer can be best utilized in Test cricket going forward.

Shami has not been picked for the all-format series against the West Indies starting in Roseau on Wednesday, July 12. While he reportedly asked to be rested from the Test format, it is unclear whether the Bengal seamer is part of the selectors' scheme of things in the two white-ball formats.

During an interaction with News24 Sports, Manjrekar was asked about his thoughts on Shami's place in India's ODI side, to which he responded:

"Mohammad Shami is an option. I feel he will definitely play in this World Cup but slowly-slowly I think Indian cricket should give him the role of a Test bowler because the value he has in Test cricket, you won't get it in any other format."

The former Indian batter feels the 32-year-old pacer needs to be kept fit and fresh for the longest format:

"The sort of career Mohammad Shami is having and the sort of fitness he has, if you keep him fit and fresh for Test cricket, I feel that would be good planning."

Shami has picked up 162 wickets in the 90 ODIs he has played. With uncertainties surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's fitness, the experienced seamer should be in the selectors and team management's thoughts for the World Cup later this year.

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"India will have to search for death-bowling specialists" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Akash Madhwal was one of the star performers at the death in IPL 2023. [P/C: iplt20.com]

While observing that Mohammed Siraj is a certainty for the World Cup, Sanjay Manjrekar wants the Men in Blue to try out the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Madhwal as death-bowling options ahead of the tournament:

"Mohammed Siraj will definitely be in the team. He is very good at the moment but India will have to search for death-bowling specialists. Probably Mukesh Kumar or Akash Madhwal, who bowl extremely well at the death, you will have to probably try such a reliable talent before the 50-overs World Cup. So that is a different option."

The cricketer-turned-commentator named Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja as some of the spin-bowling options for the World Cup squad:

"Among the spinners, once again Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, these guys should come. Kuldeep Yadav should be backed more, which probably this selection committee is doing, the way he has been picked. Jadeja is another option you have."

Manjrekar concluded by observing that Kuldeep should be preferred over Chahal in ODI cricket. He reasoned that spinners need to dismiss batters while they are trying to push the ball into gaps in the 50-over format, whereas in T20 cricket they need to be deceived while playing the big shots.