“India couldn’t finalise their XI for 2 years. Batting, bowling everything unsettled”: Shoaib Akhtar on Indian Team.

With less than a month remaining until the highly anticipated World Cup, the Indian cricket team finds itself in a state of uncertainty, particularly regarding their middle-order composition and the selection of seam bowlers. Despite India’s formidable reputation in the cricketing world, the lack of clarity in these crucial areas has raised questions and eyebrows among cricket enthusiasts.

India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, and the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, have expressed confidence in the squad they have assembled for the World Cup. They assert that the 15-man Indian roster represents the best possible team, capable of clinching the coveted World Cup title. According to Rohit Sharma, India boasts a well-rounded squad with a total of four seam-bowling options, complemented by two spinners, and the luxury of batting depth down to the eighth position.

However, former Pakistani fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, holds a differing perspective. Akhtar contends that India has struggled to establish a settled squad over the past two years. In his assessment, both the batting and bowling departments of the Indian team have been far from settled, raising concerns about their readiness for the World Cup challenges.

Akhtar said “I don’t know why I have this feeling that India could not pick its final eleven for the past two years. I don’t feel the team is settled because now you all have injuries, three or four people have been replaced and your squad seems unsettled. It’s a strange thing for me that the squad doesn’t seem settled. We still don’t know who are the four main batsmen and who will bat at No.5, will Virat bat at No. 3 or 4?”

One specific point of contention for Shoaib Akhtar is India’s decision not to include leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh in their World Cup squad saying he further added “How they have not selected Chahal is beyond me. And again, I think Arshdeep needed to be in the squad because under pressure, when you are playing against someone like Pakistan, then you need that left-handed seamer. But the problem with the Indian team is that when they get out for 150 or 200, it’s not the batsmen but the bowlers who will have to perform. How long will you stretch your batting line-up? If the first five batsmen couldn’t do anything, then what will the No. 7 or No. 8 do? So, I literally believe that you’re playing with one bowler less.”