IND vs NZ – Different bowlers for different formats? Despite the complaints of fatigue, India’s new head coach Rahul Dravid dismissed the idea of having separate teams. But the selectors and the BCCI are still deliberating the idea of different bowlers for different formats to manage workload. While the focus will be on young pacers in the T20Is, the Test side will see an experienced bowling line-up. For ODIs, it will be a mix of both young and experienced. But Dravid is opposed to the idea as he feels the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have more to offer in all three formats.
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BCCI workload management – “We have one World Cup each year until 2024 and those three World Cups will be the priority. To be there, players have to be managed properly to get the best out of them. Now that we have a great depth in bowling in both pace and spin department, we think it is feasible to have T20 bowlers, ODI bowlers and Test bowlers to manage their workload,” a BCCI source told InsideSport.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’
On Wednesday, Dravid dismissed the idea completely, saying different teams for different formats will not be the case going forward but they will be rotated and rested to manage workload and fatigue.
“I am certainly not looking at different teams for the three formats. There are certain players who will play just one format or another. We of course will prioritise players’ well-being,” Rahul Dravid said at the pre-match presser on Wednesday.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’
However, the embarrassing group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup has forced the selection committee and the Indian board to take radical steps to manage players’ workload. While the batsmen will be given every opportunity to rest while also assuring them that they will still have a place when they return, it is the bowlers’ workload management that will be the highlight.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’
IND vs NZ: Why workload management is in focus?
- Most players in India’s T20 World Cup squad were on the road for over 6 months and spent most time in bio-bubbles.
- Players complained about bio-bubble fatigue and it was one of the reasons cited behind India’s disastrous run.
- Jasprit Bumrah was in focus as he has bowled 456.3 overs in all formats and IPL combined and was not at his best in the first two matches in T20 WC.
- Mohammed Shami, another bowler off colour has bowled 414.3 overs in three formats and IPL combined.
- But as both bowlers are considered for all three formats, Rahul Dravid is not keen on implementing the idea of specific bowlers for specific formats.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’
However, not only Rahul Dravid but not all players are in favour of the idea. Some believe if they opt out of T20s, they will not be picked in IPL, which is still a lucrative source of income.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’
“Players have genuine worry but it is also a matter of consideration that you cannot miss out on Jasprit Bumrah and Shami in T20s. Shardul (Thakur) and Deepak (Chahar) are also in contention for spots in all three formats. How do you deny them? But we need a solution. So, we will discuss whether it is feasible for a bowler to focus on one format but keep the door open for other formats as well,” the source explained.
To iron out the differences, the idea of having a different set of bowlers will be deliberated at great length during the New Zealand series. But if the idea is still rejected by the team management including Virat Kohli, the ODI and Test skipper, the selection committee may look at prioritizing important tours like South Africa and rest them for the series like Sri Lanka, West Indies.
IND vs NZ: Selectors deliberating not separate teams but ‘different bowlers for different formats to manage workload’