Former Australian speedster Brett Lee believes Ravichandran Ashwin should be a default choice in any team and India has missed a trick by not playing him in the XI.
Lee reckons that having someone like Ashwin in the team brings in a lot of experience and the off spinner should play every game for India.
"If you are after an angle about Ashwin, he is first and foremost a wonderful cricketer. I am a big fan and he has got a lot to offer, he is very very experienced. He is a great leader and of course, he can play every single game,” Lee said in a conversation with ANI.
The Aussie speed icon believes that the playing XI is ultimately depends on the team management and the captain.
“They (Indian team) chose not to play him and that is on them. But whether he should be in the XI is up to the selectors and captain to make a call,” Lee added.
After Indian bowlers failed to pick up any wicket in their last encounter against Pakistan, a couple of selections were questioned by the fans and cricket pundits across the world.
Ashwin played his last T20I in 2017 against West Indies at Kingston, in which he gave 39 runs in four overs without getting a wicket. In his recent Indian Premier League (IPL) outing with Delhi Capitals (DC), the experienced off-spinner took 7 wickets in the 13 matches and bowled with an average and economy rate of 47.28 and 7.41 respectively.
India and New Zealand will go at each other in their next Super 12 encounter of the T20 World Cup on Sunday and if India go with Ashwin against Kiwis, he might be India’s trump card alongside fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
