Ever since Rohit Sharma took over the T20I captaincy of India last year, the side has seen an emergence of multiple fast bowlers in the side. However, Arshdeep Singh was one youngster who stood out with his consistent performances and eventually booked his ticket for the flight to Australia for the T20 World Cup. The 23-year-old left-arm pacer had made his T20I debut in July earlier this year after impressive performances in the Indian Premier League, and in 11 matches since, Arshdeep has picked 14 wickets.
The youngster's ability to bowl yorkers almost at will during the death overs drew eyeballs in the IPL where he represented the Punjab Kings; however, Arshdeep had an indifferent outing in the 2022 Asia Cup where he proved considerably expensive, especially in the Super 4 games. The youngster also faced criticism for his dropped catch at a crucial moment during the game against Pakistan.
Former Pakistan bowler Aaqib Javed was recently asked about his opinion on Arshdeep Singh, and Javed had a rather blunt response as he talked about the youngster.
“He's just a basic bowler. In T20s, you either need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar who can swing, or you should have pace. Or, you should be tall enough to throw in those bouncers. You need to have a trademark. When you see the bowlers around the world, you notice that,” Javed told Sports Paktv.
{{/usCountry}}“He's just a basic bowler. In T20s, you either need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar who can swing, or you should have pace. Or, you should be tall enough to throw in those bouncers. You need to have a trademark. When you see the bowlers around the world, you notice that,” Javed told Sports Paktv.
{{/usCountry}}The former Pakistan cricketer went on to name some of the leading fast bowlers in the world, and insisted that Arshdeep doesn't have a trademark yet.
“For example, Bumrah just darts in the yorkers with perfection. Hardik Pandya's bouncers are quite lethal. Shaheen has a great swing and Haris has great pace. So, Arshdeep is.. just like any other bowler. He doesn't really have a trademark. The opposition doesn't even think about bowlers like him,” claimed Javed.
Arshdeep has been included in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup alongside fellow pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya also being a part of the attack.