India is first country to assemble two national teams at same time: Inzamam-ul-Haq

Inzamam-ul-Haq said India are the first country to field two national teams at the same time, something Australia had tried to do at their prime but failed. Inzamam also said both India’s teams — the Test team due to play in England and the limited-overs side due to play a series in Sri Lanka — look like strong outfits.

“This idea of assembling a second Indian team is very interesting. What India are trying to do today, Australia did this years ago, but they were not able to be successful in it. India appear to be pulling it off. For the first time I think it is happening that a national cricket team will be playing two different series. One side in one country and the other side in some other country, and both are national teams,” Inzamam said on the latest episode on his YouTube channel, Inzamam ul Haq – The Match Winner.

“When Australia were at their peak. From 1995 to say 2005-2010, they had tried to distinguish two international teams named Australia A and Australia B, but they didn’t get the permission. India are doing what even Australia couldn’t do in their peak. And the move makes sense given the isolation protocols and everything, and it couldn’t have been possible to send the same team to both countries in such a gap,” the former Pakistan captain added.

India’s primary side will be travelling to the UK for the WTC final and then a five-match Test series against England. Simultaneously, in July, a ‘B’ team will play a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. With most of the experienced players selected in the Test squad, some youngsters will get an opportunity to play against Sri Lanka.

Inzamam feels that India’s second team will be as strong as the one in England, and he said that the IPL and India’s domestic structure are the factors for this abundance of talent.

“India at this time have so much strength that they are capable of doing this. Their pool of players is so huge that they are able to manage this. If you look at the players who would be travelling to Sri Lanka, it would appear as if this is India’s main team, such is their bench strength,” Inzamam said.

“India have improved their First-Class structure and then there is the IPL as well that has helped assemble two different teams at the same time. It’s almost as if India have prepared 50 guys who are ready to play for the national team,” he added.