Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has recommended that if Mohammed Shami is not fit in time for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India should consider replacing him with the express pace bowler Mayank Yadav for the crucial five-match Test series. Despite only having played three T20Is, Lee believes that high pace is a quality that no batsman enjoys facing.
In an interview with Fox Cricket, Lee expressed his opinion that no batsman in the world feels comfortable when facing a bowler who can consistently bowl at speeds exceeding 150 kmph. Therefore, if Shami is unavailable, Lee suggests that India should include Mayank in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad.
Mayank, who caught the eye with his rapid pace in the IPL 2024, has been fast-tracked into the Indian team due to his ability to bowl at a fiery pace.
"They (Lucknow Super Giants) put him (Mayank) in cotton wool for a bit. The great thing about India is that they are not worried about how much cricket someone has played or hasn't played, if he is ready to go, get him in there. I love that theory. I can tell you that batters are okay when you bowl that 135-140 kmph speed, but when you bowl high 150s, I don't care who it is, no one wants to face that," Lee said.
"He looks like someone who is the complete package, if Mohammed Shami is not ready, at least get him in the squad. I think he would do pretty well on these Australian wickets," Lee added.
Mayank recently made his T20I debut for India in the series against Bangladesh, where he showcased his talent by taking four wickets with an impressive economy rate of 6.91 in three matches. Prior to this, he caught the attention of many cricket enthusiasts while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL earlier this year.
It is worth mentioning that Mayank has only participated in one first-class game, which was against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy in 2022. Despite his limited experience in the longer format of the game, his performance in T20 cricket has already made a significant impact.
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