Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson feels pace bowler Mohammad Siraj could replace India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, should he be ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia commencing on October 16, though he added that no one in the world can replace the 28-year-old quick.
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India head coach Rahul Dravid had said recently that the injured Bumrah is in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and the team management is waiting for official confirmation on the next steps, adding that till time the pacer is not officially ruled out of the T20 World Cup, they will always be hopeful. The 28-year-old Bumrah has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa with a back injury which has cast doubts over his participation in the T20 World Cup.
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Bumrah missed the Asia Cup due to the same injury but made his return in the T20I series against Australia. Though he missed the first game, he was available for the final two matches which India won to clinch the series. Unfortunately, ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, BCCI provided an update that Bumrah complained of back pain during the practice session, thus ruling him out of the series.
Watson felt Siraj's firepower was comparable with Bumrah's, which would be "vital" on Australian wickets.
"The player I would put in if Jasprit's not available is Mohammad Siraj, because of the firepower he presents," Watson said on The ICC Review. "Without Bumrah, that`s the one thing India won't necessarily have, which is vital on Australian wickets on the bigger grounds with the pace and bounce. Siraj is great with the brand-new ball. He is fast, he swings the ball away but also his defensive skills are pretty good."
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Watson felt Siraj had learned quite a few tricks of the trade playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"And he's got better over the last couple of years, with what we've seen in the IPL. So, for me he's probably going to be the one who is going to have the most impact," added Watson.
Experienced seamers Mohammad Shami and Deepak Chahar are among the players already on India's standby list for the T20 World Cup, while Siraj is also in the mix to feature, given he received a call-up to replace Bumrah for the remainder of the South Africa T20 series.
