Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has backed Mohammed Siraj to be the replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah in Team India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2022. The Ranji Trophy legend also praised him for his performance in the ODI series against South Africa.
“You need to think about Siraj, Shami will be very rusty going into the World Cup,” says Wasim Jaffer
Mohammed Siraj was one of the main reasons behind India being on the top of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The right-arm pacer looked threatening every time he came to ball and troubled the Proteas batters with his impeccable line and lengths.
Not only in the powerplay, but Siraj was also sensational with the ball even in the death and bowled economical spells in all three games of the series. He was awarded the Player of the Series in the three-match for his economical and staggering performance.
Mohammed Siraj won the player of the series award for his terrific bowling performance.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 11, 2022
Siraj went wicketless in the first game but was economical. But after that, he added his name in the wickets column as well as he took up 3/38 in Ranchi and then picked 2/17 in the series decider in Delhi.
His performance in the ODI series might have given another headache to selectors as he has made a case for him to be in contention for the World Cup squad as a replacement player. Notably, he replaced Jasprit Bumrah in the T20I series against South Africa.
Sharing his thoughts about who could be the replacement player for Jasprit Bumrah, Wasim Jaffer said that Siraj has been exceptional with the ball and can be the front runner to replace him. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said:
“Sometimes, he can be expensive, but in the second ODI and even today (Tuesday), he picked up crucial wickets. In the last match, he bowled really well at the death. Because he is playing consistently, you need to think about Siraj. Shami will be very rusty going into the World Cup. Siraj might be the front-runner now.
“I genuinely feel he should have been part of that World Cup team,” Wasim Jaffer on Kuldeep Yadav
Apart from Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav was also a contributor in the series win against South Africa. He made the Proteas batters look clueless with his ability to turn the ball on both sides. He bagged 6 wickets in the series with a best of 4/18 that came in the last game in Delhi.
Speaking about his performance, Jaffer feels that Kuldeep should’ve been in the World Cup squad as he’s a genuine wicket-taker and could’ve been handy for India in the middle overs.
“[Look at] the way he bowled in the IPL. He is a genuine wicket-taker. In T20 cricket, he comes in after the sixth over and can get you wickets. He can spin the ball both ways; not many batters can pick him. He’s started to bowl a lot quicker and the results are there for everyone to see. I genuinely feel he should have been part of that World Cup team.”
A special week with the boys as we overcame the challenges and delivered our best cricket under pressure.
A big thanks to the support staff and congratulations everyone on the series win 🏆🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/PtJNHYUYpp
— Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) October 11, 2022
