‘The Pace Line-Up is the Weak Link’: Madan Lal Unhappy With India’s Bowling Depth for T20 World Cup

May 1, 2024 0 1033

Madan Lal questioned India’s pace-bowling attack for the T20 World Cup, citing that it lacks depth.

Legendary cricketer Madan Lal has expressed concerns about India’s pace bowling attack for the upcoming T20 World Cup. While the BCCI selected a squad featuring experienced options like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh, Lal believes the attack lacks depth.

“I don’t like the pace attack. Other than Jasprit Bumrah, it’s not that good. Siraj has done well here and there, but his performances at the international level have been patchy. I think India is going weaker on the pacer side,” Lal told the Times of India.

Lal is concerned about India’s over-reliance on Bumrah, particularly given the inconsistent recent form of Siraj and Arshdeep in the IPL.

“Not only in T20 cricket, you need a good pacer who can get you the wickets to win matches. Bumrah is a wicket-taker and a match-winner. Let’s see how Siraj performs. Otherwise, India will rely on Bumrah a lot,” Lal said.

Looking back at India’s past successes, Lal emphasised the importance of a strong pace attack. “If you look at history, India performed well only when they had a good pace attack. Only then did they win a lot of matches. But I am not sure about Arshdeep, nor am I sure about Siraj. Pandya is not that effective either. I think the team management has taken a chance on him. The pace line-up is the weak link. Apart from Bumrah, we have to see how Siraj and Arshdeep bowl,” Lal remarked.

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The former World Cup winner suggested that Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T. Natarajan would have been a better fit for the squad. “If I had a chance to pick one, I would’ve picked Natarajan. I would have vouched for him because he is a good bowler at death,” concluded Lal.

However, though Lal opined for better depth in the bowling squad, only time will tell whether he is right or not as India starts off their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5th against Ireland.