Home
Following India's ouster from the T20 World Cup 2022, former India cricketer Atul Wassan underlined the need to revamp the coaching staff for the shortest format. He said that the Men in Blue needed to hire the best people to prepare for the T20 World Cup and someone like AB de Villiers would have done the job for India.
Jos Buttler paired up with Alex Hales to rip through the Indian bowling and made the light work of India's 169-run target with 10 wickets and 24 balls to spare in the T20 World Cup semifinal on Thursday.
Wassan said specialised coaching staff is required to guide the players in the slam-bang format.
"We can't have the same coaching staff for the T20 and Test cricket. You hire the best for T20 format. Why didn't we hire AB de Villers for the T20 World Cup as a mentor? He could have guided the team better. He can tell the players a bit about manufacturing the shots," Wassan said.
"This game has proved again and again that you need a new breed. In 2007, we hardly had stars, the team was comprised of youngsters, they played freely and they won the title. We are relying too much on our bigger names to deliver all the time." Wassan, who played four Tests and nine ODIs for India, said it's a wrong notion that excelling in IPL will guarantee success in international cricket.
"We also wrongly thought that the expertise of IPL will translate into the World Cup success. India is just faltering in big matches in do-or-die situations," he said.
The 54-year-old, who now works as an expert, is of the opinion that India should pick only most suited players for T20 format.
"We have five ex-captains and eight players who play Test format, competing in T20s. How can't we find another set of players for T20? You just can't have the same players. Just because they are big names you (the selectors) are playing them. I think we have to reset the button," he said.
"With Rohit Sharma, the age factor is there. He looks sluggish. The baggage of stardom is also there. It's high time that we plan for the next world cup from here on. We have become the new chokers in international cricket.
"The team needs to change its mindset and approach to do well in the T20 format," he further added.
Talking about the match, England seemed to have saved their best for the grand stage as they reduced the semifinal to a lop-sided affair, courtesy a splendid bowling effort which they complemented with some breathtaking stroke-making.
It was Hardik Pandya (68 off 33 balls), whose fearless hitting took India to 168 for six but it was just about a par-score at the Adelaide Oval.
England captain Buttler (80 not out) set the tone with three boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's opening over but it was Hales (86 not out off) who butchered the Indian attack into submission.
The target was achieved in just 16 overs as England batting line-up clicked for the first time in the tourney and what a day it chose to brings its A game to the fore.
The England opening duo gave India's star-studded line-up a lesson in how to build a T20 innings: that there is only one way, the offensive way.
It was one match that was decided in Powerplay as India managed only 38 runs in six overs as the archaic style of safety-first approach hurt them terribly.
In complete contrast, England's top order which looked shaky throughout the league stage, smashed 63 in their six overs. The match was won and lost then and there.
