Ashish Nehra stunned everyone when he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Nehra is expected to play his last game at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi, his hometown. Though it might not be the case according to India’s chief selector MSK Prasad, who said that there was no assurance on whether Nehra was going to play in Delhi or not. The fans of the left-arm seamers won’t be happy with this statement as Nehra would not play any form of cricket after the first T20I against New Zealand. The 38-year-old recently made a comeback into India’s T20I squad. He did not get a single chance to play in the T20I series against Australia. But if Prasad’s statement is to be believed, Nehra may not get to play in a perfect retirement game.
Prasad told reporters in Mumbai,
We can’t say that if he will surely play in the Delhi T20I. Whether he is going to play or not, it is clearly the team management and the selector on call, whoever it is. The think tank involved will be taking a call. There is no assurance from our side that he’s going to play or not. It will be decided on that particular day.
He added,
We have clearly communicated to the player, ie Ashish Nehra and to the team management that we are only looking at him till the New Zealand series. If you have seen the pattern with which we have selected the India A players, the same bowlers we have been continuing with for the last one and a half years on all A trips, that means they are very much in line. They have really done well in South Africa, also at home against New Zealand. This message has been clearly communicated and we are very happy that the player also needs to take it in the right spirit that the new generation is coming up.
BCCI recently announced India’s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. There have been two changes in the squad. Right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Siraj and right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer are set to make their debut. Though the bigger question still remains whether Nehra will get to play the perfect farewell match or not.
