Former India player Aakash Chopra has shared that Team India can learn a lot from England when it comes to selecting teams for the white-ball formats. According to him, India focuses too much on individuals but England has a clear philosophy.
However, Team India has had a poor show in the mega event where they have lost to Pakistan and New Zealand and won against Afghanistan so far. On the other hand, England are unbeaten in the tournament so far and have already qualified for the semi-finals as well.
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In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Chopra opened up on this. While praising England, he responded:
“This team goes with a philosophy. England have their priorities crystal clear and everyone seems to be moving in the same direction. They picked all-rounders by looking at performances from the county circuit, the Natwest T20 blast and The Hundred. They selected only white-ball players as per the demands of the format.”
Slamming India’s selection policy, Aakash Chopra stated that Joe Root would have been part of the T20 team if he was an Indian.
“England did not take into consideration Test performances, no matter how good they were. Look at Joe Root’s case. If Joe Root was an Indian, do you think he would not have been part of the Indian T20 squad? I can give you in writing that Root would have been part of the team even if he had a strike rate of 125. He might even have been the captain of the T20 team. This is what India is all about. That is not how England thinks,” he added.
They have horses for courses policy – Aakash Chopra on England’s success
However, Eoin Morgan-led team have been playing in the marquee event without their two key players – Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. But their absence hardly felt as others stepped up and they have dominated Group 1 in the Super 12 stage as well.
While commenting on the reason behind England’s success, Aakash Chopra said:
“They have a horses for courses policy. Dawid Malan is in the T20 squad but doesn’t play too many Tests. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have been told what is expected of them. Their priorities are very clear. That is why even if some players are missing, there is someone else who can get into that role very quickly and seamlessly. India will have to learn from this. You cannot make strategies centered around individuals. They should have a philosophy in place and fit the other things in. This is a sub-continent culture where individuals are given preference, which we need to move away from.”
England will play against South Africa in their last Super 12 match in Sharjah on Saturday, November 6.
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