Asia Cup 2022: Last Time He Played In UAE, He Wasn't Able To Make A Significant Impact – Salman Butt On Mohammad Shami's Exclusion From India Squad

Former Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Salman Butt, while talking about Mohammed Shami’s exclusion from the Asia Cup 2022 squad of the India National Cricket Team, said that the veteran pacer might have been excluded from the team because he failed to make a significant impact with the new ball during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE.

The Asia Cup 2022 is scheduled to be played from August 27 to September 11. The entire tournament is set to be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the hosts Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan in the opening clash.

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The tournament was originally set to be played in Sri Lanka but was shifted to United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the economic and political crises in the country.

On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2022. Star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel were not available for selection owing to injuries and the selection committee picked only three pacers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan – in the main squad and pacer Deepak Chahar was named as a stand-by player.

Many expected the veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who was IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans’ (GT) leading wicket-taker, to be a part of the India squad for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup in the absence of star pacers. However, Shami was left out of the squad and many fans and pundits were shocked to see his exclusion.

India have opted for players who are more agile – Salman Butt

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt talked about Shami’s absence from India’s Asia Cup squad and said that the BCCI selectors have opted for agile players and players who can contribute with the bat lower down the order. He elaborated:

“India have rested Mohammad Shami for the Asia Cup. This could be because the last time he played in the UAE, he wasn’t able to make a significant impact with the new ball. India have opted for players who are more agile on the field and can also contribute with the bat lower down the order.

“Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Asia Cup and India haven’t named the likes of Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the squad. They have a very young pace attack and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the most experienced seamer in their side.”

He also said that Team India have made a good choice by picking two wrist-spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad. Butt said:

“There are two leg spinners in the squad. I believe they have picked the right squad, considering the conditions in the UAE.”

Also Read: Asia Cup 2022: Aakash Chopra Questions Mohammed Shami’s Exclusion From India Squad

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