T20 World Cup 2022: Saba Karim backs Mohammed Shami to step up and do the job for India

India
were
dealt
a
huge
blow
after
pace
spearhead
Bumrah
was
ruled
out
of
the
T20
World
Cup
due
to
a
back
injury.
Bumrah,
who
missed
the
first
T20I
against
South
Africa
on
Wednesday
(September
28),
was
ruled
out
of
the
ongoing
series
on
Thursday
(September
29).

Former
selector
and
wicketkeeper
Saba
Karim
said
losing
a
‘unique
bowler’ like
Bumrah,
who
can
bowl
with
the
new
ball
as
well
as
in
the
death
overs,
is
a
massive
blow.

“Yes,
he’s
such
a
unique
bowler.
In
the
T20
format,
you
need
someone
who
can
bowl
with
the
new
ball
and
pick
wickets
and
then
can
come
back
to
finish
his
spell
in
the
death
overs,”
Karim
said
on

SPORTS18‘s
daily
sports
news
show

‘SPORTS
OVER
THE
TOP’.

“He’s
(Bumrah)
extremely
effective
and
plus
his
match
awareness,
he’s
kind
of
part
of
the
leadership
group
for
the
national
side
now.
So
yes,
I
think
without
him
this
will
be
a
massive
blow
for
India.”

Bumrah
featured
in
the
final
two
T20Is
against
Australia,
but
before
that
he
only
played
T20Is
during
the
tour
to
England.
The
28-year-old
had
missed
a
couple
of
bilateral
series
as
well
as
the
Asia
Cup
before
returning
to
action
in
the
home
series
against
Australia.

Saba
Karim
feels
the
captain
and
team
management
were
prepared
for
something
like
this
and
believes
there
is
a
reason
why
Shami
and
Deepak
Chahar
were
among
the
stand-bys
for
the
World
Cup.

“But
you
know
one
can
sense
that
the
Indian
team
management
and
the
Indian
captain
were
kind
of
preparing
for
this.
That’s
why
they
thought
of
bringing
in
Shami
and
they
also
have
Deepak
Chahar
on
stand-by.
So,
I
think
it’s
good
in
a
way
that
India
played
all
these
bilateral
engagements
without
Jasprit
Bumrah
in
the
line-up.”

Mohammed
Siraj
has
been
drafted
into
the
squad
for
the
South
Africa
series,
but
Shami,
who
is
on
the
stand-bys
is
among
one
of
the
pacers
expected
to
replace
Bumrah
in
the
T20
World
Cup
squad.

Shami
was
picked
for
the
bygone
Australia
series,
but
had
to
miss
out
after
testing
positive
for
COVID
on
the
eve
of
the
first
T20I.
The
32-year-old,
however,
has
test
negative
now
and
is
in-line
to
return
to
the
Indian
T20
set
up.

And
the
former
selector
Karim
has
backed
Shami
among
the
available
options
to
replace
Bumrah
in
the
India
squad
for
the
T20
World
Cup.

“I’ll
go
ahead
with
Shami
because
he
will
find
form
although
he
hasn’t
played
but
he’s
that
kind
of
bowler
who
once
given
an
opportunity
he
can
always
step
up
and
do
the
job
for
India,”
Karim
added.

“Plus,
with
this
kind
of
experience,
you
need
somebody
at
the
top
who
can
pick
you
wickets
and
you’ve
seen
Shami
in
the
last
IPL,
he’s
such
a
bowler
who
can
pick
wickets
with
the
new
ball
in
the
power
play
and
India
needs
that.

“So,
if
Mohammed
Shami
can
pick
up
early
wickets
with
the
new
ball,
that’s
the
kind
of
start
India
would
need
while
defending
the
target
or
while
trying
to
restrict
the
opposition
from
setting
a
huge
target.”

Karim
further
spoke
about
India’s
bowling
performance
especially
in
the
death
overs
and
feels
the
experienced
Shami
can
fill
the
void
left
by
Bumrah.

“Yeah,
it
does.
With
the
new
ball,
you
do
have
some
viable
options.
You
have
Bhuvneshwar
Kumar,
now
what
we
saw
in
the
last
game,
Arshdeep
Singh
can
step
up.
We
also
have
someone
like
Shami,”
Karim
said.

“But
to
bowl
in
the
death
overs
especially
under
pressure,
you
need
someone
who’s
aware
of
his
abilities
and
he
bowls
according
to
that.
So,
in
that
sense,
without
Bumrah,
the
other
bowlers
they
really
need
to
step
up
and
do
the
job
for
India.
That
may
not
be
so
easy.”

India
will
continue
their
preparations
for
the
T20
World
Cup
with
two
more
matches
against
South
Africa
at
home
on
October
2
and
October
4
before
jetting
out
to
Australia.