As the squad lists for the upcoming Champions Trophy were announced a few days prior, the exclusion of the right-arm fast-paced bowler, Mohammed Siraj, has sparked outrage among all cricket fans as they believe that Mohammed Siraj had been constantly performing for the Indian Cricket Team now and then.
Omission of Siraj from the squad:
Out of the players selected, one of the most high-profile omissions was that of Mohammed Siraj. Many fans believe that he should have been brought along for the Champions Trophy as he would have brought a new dimension to the bowling squad of the Indian Cricket Team. “He Should Have been in place of Ravindra Jadeja”, says Aakash Chopra:
Here’s what prominent journalist and Ex-Cricketer Aakash Chopra had to say about the whole situation-“If you (the selectors) wished, they could have added him(Mohammed Siraj) in place of
Ravindra Jadeja for the squad.” These words from Aakash Chopra have caused widespread anger among cricket fans, as some favor Ravindra Jadeja, while others favor Mohammed Siraj.
Why did Aakash Chopra say this?
After making his statement he stated his reason behind this, Aakash Chopra revealed that he believes that taking Mohammed Siraj instead of Jadeja would have been better
as he stated that though Jadeja is a great bowler, his best days are far behind him now. Being 37 now, Jadeja had already announced his retirement from T-20 Cricket
earlier after winning the T20 World Cup.
Talking about Siraj, he stated that as Siraj is still 30, he has a lot of room to grow and become a great bowler for the Indian Team. He also stated that he believes that since Jadeja won’t be playing much and has been more likely to be brought in as a substitute for the Team, bringing Siraj would have been a bit better overall.
Mohammed Siraj’s view on this situation:
After getting left out of the squad, Siraj posted an Instagram Story that had a cryptic message stating, Restart and Refocus. This story indicates that Mohammed Siraj
Siraj will now work even harder to get back into the Indian Cricket Team. Below is his Instagram story.
What’s next:
Many people have various opinions about this situation. Some believe that bringing fan-favorite Jadeja was the right choice as he brings a lot of experience to the
Team. While others believe that Siraj should have been brought. What are your opinions about this situation? State it in the comments section below.