Shahbaz Nadeem serves strong case for India call up against England

Veteran Jharkhand bowler Shahbaz Nadeem has been a juggernaut in the domestic circuit. The left arm spinner has failed to make it to the national team yet. However, there is a strong chance that Nadeem might well be given a chance in the upcoming T20I series against England. The Jharkhand bowler was instrumental in taking his team to the semi-finals for the first time ever in the Ranji Trophy history.

A crucial 7-wicket haul in the first innings against Haryana in the quarter-finals set the tone for Jharkhand’s massive victory. As per reports in the Indian Express, the bowler has served a strong case for himself. Interestingly, Nadeem himself had recently stated that he does feel frustrated at the fact that he is not the part of the national setup. Team India is scheduled to play 3 T20Is against England in January 2017.

Preferred all-rounder Axar Patel has already been ruled out of the series due to an injury. Ravindra Jadeja, who deals in the same trade of left arm spin, might well be rested considering the long Test season that follows. India have to host Bangladesh and Australia for a cumulative of 5 Tests in the month succeeding the England series.

In such a backdrop, if the selectors decide to look for a like-for-like replacement, Shahbaz Nadeem will be the first in the list. Nadeem is currently the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy this season with 50 wickets to his name. His form is not confined to this edition only. In the last edition of Ranji Trophy, Nadeem had bagged 51 wickets in just 9 matches.

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Another thing that might work in favor of Shahbaz Nadeem is the fact that Indian limited overs skipper MS Dhoni has a fair idea of how capable Nadeem is. MS Dhoni has been mentoring the Jharkhand side this season and Nadeem has been their key bowler thus far. Moreover, with no more T20Is coming in the Indian fixtures post the England series, the selectors have a good chance of trying new faces in the T20Is lineup. Do not be surprised if Nadeem makes it to both ODIs and T20Is series against England.