Ishant Sharma has led the Indian pace attack pretty well in Test cricket in the last few years. However, he continues to be out of the limited-overs squad but the lanky fast bowler has not given up yet and is looking to show his talent through the upcoming edition of the IPL.
Delhi Capitals advisor Sourav Ganguly and mentor Ricky Ponting are backing him to seal number World Cup spot.
“I think he’s bowling at his best at the moment,” Ganguly said while speaking about Ishant’s case on Tuesday. “I think he has matured with so much of experience under his belt and I think he’s really working hard in the nets and I know he’ll do well.”
“I don’t believe someone is a T20 bowler or a 50-over bowler or Test bowler. Test bowler is the highest level of bowling that you can achieve. You got to be at a really good level at that and I’m not saying that you don’t have to be good in the limited-overs but Ishant has it in him the ability to adjust and reshape his bowling in this format. You can see it in him that he’s keen to turn it around and you always go for players like that,” he added.
Ponting also lauded the Indian speedster. “He’s reshaping his bowling. We have watched him closely in the practice game we played a couple of nights ago. He bowled well in the game, stayed on after it. His ability to hit Yorkers is probably better than ever before. The other thing he brings with himself is the experience to our line-up. It’s invaluable in the T20 format,” said the former Australian captain.
He further asserted: “It’s been talked about a long time that T20 cricket is a young man’s game but it’s not that. It’s probably an older person’s game and experienced players game that can think their ways through tough situations in the game. We have a lot of you bowlers in our squad and he can be a mentor to them.”