Are the Indian selectors choosing the wrong players for the wrong formats?

Indian cricket's selection committee headed by M.S.K Prasad has an onerous job on hand in selecting the 15 best players in the Indian squad for World Cup 2019. The selection committee’s job has been made easier by the players who have selected themselves.

In the 15 member squad for the World Cup, one can safely say that about 12 players have selected themselves with their recent performances. It is the remaining 3 spots which should test the skills of the selection committee.

While the race is still on for those 3 vacant spots, of late the selectors have given the impression that they have chosen the wrong players in the wrong formats. The common norm used to select a new player is to first experiment him in a T20I or an ODI and then ease him into Test cricket depending upon the player’s skills, technique and performance.

It could be the other way around too as was the case with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal. After giving them a break in Test matches, the selectors could have tried them by now in white ball cricket had they remained fit. Now with the fast-approaching World Cup, that experimentation should wait.

Though the selectors have been by and large fair to new players, it is with the established players that they have shown inconsistency, selecting the wrong players for the wrong formats.

The All format players

Bhuvi, Kohli and Bumrah - The All format players

In the present Indian team, 5 players can be regarded as all format players. They are captain Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma can join that list when they are in form. The other players either play one or two formats of the game.

Wrong players in the wrong format

MS Dhoni’s return to T20Is

MS Dhoni, beyond any doubt, is the best wicket-keeper in the world across all formats. He doesn’t drop too many and his out-of-the-world lightning-quick stumpings are beyond comparison.

But when it comes to his batting, in current form, MS Dhoni is best suited to play in ODIs only. Moreover, he is effective in ODIs only if he bats through 50 deliveries. If he gets out before that, his strike rate endangers the team’s chances of winning.

Of late, he has become an ideal batsman to have in the team if the team is chasing down a target of 230 or less. If the target is too high, he struggles to cope with the required run rate.

Dhoni’s overall batting strike rate of 125 in T20Is is nothing extraordinary. It has been like that right through his career. But on earlier occasions with his striking abilities, he could finish off matches for India even in T20Is. But his waning striking ability hasn’t helped the team’s cause in T20Is.

Like with all other Indian players, Dhoni’s success in IPL is always confused with his success in T20 Internationals. They are often mixed with each other to judge the effectiveness of Dhoni, the International T20 player.

The selectors had earlier taken the right step by dropping Dhoni for the T20I series against West Indies and Australia. But by bringing him back for the T20I series against New Zealand and Australia at home, the selectors have compromised on the balance of the team.

Umesh Yadav’s return to white ball cricket

Umesh Yadav continues to struggle in white ball cricket

Umesh Yadav has an economy of 6 and 8.76 in ODIs and T20Is respectively. Even in Test matches, he tends to be expensive. His efficacy as a bowler across formats is nullified if he does not take 2 to 3 wickets in every match. In white ball cricket, he becomes a liability if he continues to leak runs without taking any wickets. The only saving grace in such a situation would be his fielding skills in the outfield.

In spite of his continuous failures, the selectors still consider Umesh as an option in white ball cricket. But he seems like a fish out of water. In the overall interest of the team, it would be a blessing-in-disguise if Umesh continues to fail in the next few matches so that his name doesn't come up for discussion in the selection of the World Cup squad.

With regard to the selection of other players for T20Is, the selectors have been spot on with the selection of players like Vijay Shankar and Krunal Pandya. The selectors should be applauded for bringing back Mohammed Shami in ODIs and in persisting with KL Rahul as well.

Ambati Rayadu and Kedar Jadhav are yet to get their opportunities in T20Is

Players like Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayadu have not been given an opportunity to prove themselves in T20Is while the likes of Washington Sundar, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal who have returned from injury are still waiting for their chance.

The experimentation in white ball cricket should continue after the World Cup this year.