The BCCI selectors were put under a lot of criticism after Avesh Khan was excluded from the IND vs ENG squad for the last three matches against England. Despite being part of the squad for the first two Tests, Avesh has been omitted as the selectors opted to give a maiden Test call-up to Bengal pacer Akash Deep.
While the reason was subjected to speculation, it looks like we finally have some answers. According TOI the decision was made to provide Khan with playing time, prompting him to join Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. Khan has not participated in any matches in February thus far.
Akash Deep, his replacement, was selected based on his strong performances for India A. The source emphasized that regardless, the two pacers representing India in Rajkot will be Bumrah and Siraj.
“The idea is to give him game time, which is why he has been asked to go and play for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He hasn’t played in February so far. Akash Deep (his replacement) was picked because he did well for India A,” the source informed TOI.
“In any case, the two pacers for India at Rajkot will be Bumrah and Siraj,” he added.
Although Avesh Khan and Akash Deep possess similar track records, Avesh, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, holds more experience in domestic cricket and has also represented India in ODI and T20I matches. However, his recent performances in first-class matches have not met expectations.
On the other hand, Akash Deep has been in excellent form. He emerged as the highest wicket-taker for India A in the recent three-match series against England Lions, particularly impressing on flat Indian pitches. This led to his selection based on his current form.
Despite Avesh Khan’s recent struggles, his replacement despite no major failures doesn’t reflect well on the Indian management. It appears that Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma may have acted prematurely instead of trusting the process, potentially dropping a bowler with the ability to perform across all formats.
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