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SPORTS MAY 31, 2024 | The Indian Eye 54

T20 WORLD CUP

No Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand in

former spinner Graeme Swann’s top-four picks

Former English player has also backed India’s decision to take four spinners for the

upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies

OUR BUREAU and I think you should never ques-
tion that,” Swann said.
London
Former India spinner Harbhajan
ormer England off-break spin- Singh had questioned India’s deci-
ner Graeme Swann picked his sion as he feels that four spinners are
Ftop four teams for the highly a “bit too much”.
anticipated T20 World Cup, which “I think selecting four spinners
is just more than a week away from is a bit too much. Three would have
kicking off in the USA. England will been enough. I do not think we will
arrive in the West Indies and the ever play four spinners in a game.
USA to defend their crown in a tour- Ravindra Jadeja will play. Maybe
nament that is already in the history Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Cha-
books before its commencement. hal will play with him. Maybe we will
Since the inception of the tour- field three spinners in a game. We
nament, this will be the first time the will get to know the combo on seeing
marquee event will feature 20 teams the conditions,” Harbhajan told ANI
who will fight for World Cup glory. earlier this week.
Swann believes that the four India named four spinners in the
teams that would make their way squad, consisting of Ravindra Jadeja,
into the final four would be England, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yuz-
India, the West Indies, and, “unfor- vendra Chahal. Rohit has played his
tunately,” England’s arch-rival Aus- cards close to the chest and didn’t re-
tralia. He chose West Indies, ahead veal the reason behind the decision.
of the likes of Pakistan, South Africa, “I definitely wanted four spin-
and New Zealand. ners we have played a lot of cricket
“The top four teams I would go there, there is a technical aspect in-
for are India and England, and then volved in it. There is a reason for four
Australia, unfortunately, and then spinners which I am not going to say
the West Indies,” said Swann. In sev- now but I wanted four spinners for
en months, England will once again sure and three seamers and Hardik
step out to defend their crown after being fourth,” Rohit said in a press
their quest went down the slump last conference earlier this month.
year. Notably, despite having four
During their ODI World Cup spinners in the squad, India still
title defence in India, England lived doesn’t possess an off-spinner in
through a nightmare. The Three Li- their talented pool of players.
ons were chasing the shadows of the Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli Washington Sundar and Ravi-
2019 winning team throughout the chandran Ashwin were the two avail-
tournament. They failed to qualify during an IPL 2024 game (ANI) able options to pick from the off-spin
for the knockout stages and ended department. But India decided to go
up in the seventh spot with just six India’s decision to take four spinners spinners in the squad for the high- against the option due to both play-
points in nine games. But Swann is for the upcoming T20 World Cup in ly-anticipated tournament. Some ers lacking game time.
optimistic about England’s chances the USA and the West Indies. India sections of fans and former cricket- The Men in Blue will begin their
of defending their crown in the up- took a lot of people by surprise by ers have questioned India’s decision T20 World Cup campaign against
coming edition. picking four spinners during their an- to take four spinners for the tourna- Ireland on June 5, at the Nassau
The former spinner feels that nouncement for the 15-player squad ment. County International Cricket Stadi-
even though the tag of defending of the upcoming marquee event, But Swann believes that India um, New York, followed by the mar-
champions is hard to carry, England kicking off on June 1. made the right call of picking four quee clash against Pakistan on June
have a strong squad to rise to the During the press conference ear- spinners in their 15-player squad. “I 09 at the same venue. India will then
challenge. lier this month, India skipper Rohit think taking four spinners is abso- play against the USA and Canada on
Graeme Swann has also backed Sharma revealed that he wanted four lutely the way to go in the Caribbean, June 12 and 15 respectively.

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