Siraj’s Exclusion From T20 World Cup Unfortunate: AB De Villiers
Internet Desk/Hyderabad, Jan 5 (Maxim News) : Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers has termed Team India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad as “unfortunate.”
De Villiers shared his views on his YouTube channel, analysing the Indian selectors’ approach to team selection.
According to AB de Villiers, Indian selectors appeared to have prioritised team balance over individual form and quality while finalising the T20 World Cup squad.
De Villiers pointed out that although Mohammed Siraj has cemented his place in India’s ODI team, he failed to make the cut for the T20 World Cup.
“Siraj is a regular in the ODI side, but unfortunately, he was not selected for the T20 World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were picked.
Harshit Rana was also included as he can contribute with the bat,” de Villiers said.
De Villiers added that selectors were not focused only on seam bowlers but also ensured the presence of spinners, stressing that wickets from pacers would be an added bonus.
Siraj last played a T20 match for India in July 2024. Currently, Bumrah and Arshdeep are leading the pace attack, with Harshit Rana gaining preference due to his ability to add depth to the batting lineup.
This all-round ability, de Villiers observed, worked in Rana’s favour as selectors leaned towards maintaining overall team balance.
Despite missing out on the T20 World Cup squad, Mohammed Siraj is set to be part of India’s ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11.
De Villiers also recalled that he and Siraj had previously played together for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, a phase that helped Siraj grow as a top-level international bowler.
AB de Villiers’ comments have sparked fresh debate over selection policies, especially around the balance-versus-form argument in major ICC tournaments. (Maxim News)
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