Team India will return to action on February 6 when the side takes on West Indies in three ODIs and as many T20Is. The series will mark Rohit Sharma's first appearance as full-time white-ball captain, as he makes a return after recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out for the entirety of the South African tour.
Under KL Rahul's captaincy in ODIs, India had faced a dismal 0-3 series defeat against the Proteas and the performance from the bowling attack came under significant scrutiny. Barring Jasprit Bumrah – who ended as India's highest wicket-taker in the series – the bowlers failed to impress and senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's drew heavy criticism for his indifferent outings.
Bhuvneshwar failed to take a single wicket in two games before being dropped in the final ODI in Cape Town and former Pakistan captain Salman Butt fears he “wouldn't have a life as a fast bowler” if the fast bowler doesn't improve his pace. Bhuvneshwar has not been selected for the ODI series against West Indies but retains his place in the T20I squad.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs to seriously bring his pace back. With a speed of 125-130, if you don't have something 'extra-special' like Mohammad Asif, or if you don't get the conditions that assist spin, you don't have a life as a fast bowler,” Butt said on his official YouTube channel.
During the second ODI of the series, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant stood up for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Butt, referring to the tactic, said that it isn't it doesn't look good for a “fast bowler.”
“If the keeper is standing up for you in South Africa, what are you doing there as a fast bowler? Definitely, they need to move in a direction where they have wicket-taking options, where batsman have a fear in mind that the bowler is fast and that they can be hit. If you don't have speed, batsman doesn't have a second thought. He will attack you with confidence,” said Butt.
“That is why Siraj is there. He was in the previous series as well but he didn't play a single game. He should be playing.”