India's Shami picked for World T20 despite nursing injury

By Associated Press

Published: 11:08 BST, 5 February 2016 | Updated: 11:08 BST, 5 February 2016

NEW DELHI (AP) — Pace bowler Mohammed Shami was picked by India on Friday for the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 even though he was still recovering from a hamstring injury.

"There are still 30 days to go for the World T20," chief selector Sandeep Patil said.

"Shami has been India's best bowler in the recent past, and there is time to take a final call. What we know is that he has recovered and started bowling."

Shami has not played for India since the Cricket World Cup 11 months ago, when he took 17 wickets in seven games.

Since then, he's mainly been out with a knee injury, and returned home from Australia recently without taking part in a limited-overs tour due to the hamstring injury.

The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led squad has three left-arm spin allrounders in Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and uncapped Pawan Negi, who is expected to make his debut in a three-game home T20 series against Sri Lanka starting on Tuesday.

Veterans Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh were persisted with, while batsman Manish Pandey failed to make the grade despite helping India to victory in the final one-day international against Australia with an unbeaten 104.

"We've been going with a horses-for-courses policy which is serving us well," Patil said.

"Pandey did very well in Australia and is a future prospect but we've picked players according to our needs. We've tried to look at those who can get us those quick 10-12 runs late in the innings."

Patil said the selectors were confident of a good showing from the team after the "way they came back" during the Australia tour, where India blanked a second-string Australia 3-0 in a T20 series after losing 4-1 in the ODIs.

India's batting lineup is led by the dependable Virat Kohli, who slammed half-centuries in all three T20s versus Australia.

Opener Rohit Sharma, Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj are other proven match-winners.

The Asia Cup is in Bangladesh from Feb. 24-March 6, and the World T20 in India from March 8.

The Asia Cup has traditionally been a one-day tournament but is being played in the shortest format to prepare teams for the World T20.

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India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh, babetopcricketer.mystrikingly.com Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya.