BCCI should send a 26-man squad to Australia: MSK Prasad
Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad feels the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should send a contingent of 26 players to Australia. According to him, a jumbo squad will give the right amount of exposure to several senior players and youngsters. India are scheduled to tour Down Under for four-match Test series in December this year. Here is more.
Team management could monitor the youngsters this way, feels Prasad
"The team management and seniors will have an opportunity to look at the youngsters who are knocking on the doors. In this process, you can also monitor those players who can be the potential guys for different spots in future," said MSK Prasad.
England, Pakistan and West Indies announced larger squads
Recently, West Indies and Pakistan announced a roaster of 26 or more players for the England tour. Even the hosts followed similar suit to prepare for home season. Notably, intra-squad practice matches were conducted ahead of the Test series to narrow down the squad. This method also allows the team management to use the rest of players as reserves.
Prasad explains how batsmen could prepare with variety of bowlers
Prasad added first-choice batsmen will have a wide variety of bowlers at their disposal for preparation. "Even for our main bowlers, they will have fresh batsmen to bowl at unlike the same bunch of first-team boys. For instance, Shreyas Iyer is very aggressive and at times can be unorthodox. So, he might offer variety of skills which the Australian batsman might posses," he added.
An opportunity for domestic bowlers to assist India's pace quartet
By announcing a large group of players, the team management will also be able to minimize injuries. With other bowlers around, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are more likely to manage the workload well. As the BCCI recently mowed down the domestic season, the players could be utilized as a lead-up to the Australian series.
Disadvantages of introducing a larger pool
Prasad also opened up on the disadvantages of having a larger group. He said the team management will have to put up extra effort. "The only tough part that we will be facing because of this large contingent is managing such a large pool of players. To provide quality practice sessions to all of them will also be a challenge," concluded Prasad.
India to undergo 14-day quarantine period upon arriving
India will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period upon reaching Australia. As per the schedule, the first Test is set to commence on December 11 at The Gabba. The second Test (December 11-15) will be a pink-ball affair at the Adelaide Oval, while MCG will host the Boxing Day Test. The final Test at the SCG will be held between January 3-7.
