XtraTime Web Desk: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly isn’t very happy with the team selection of South Africa in the ODI and the T20I series. In his column for TOI he said some of the decisions made little sense considering the importance of matches.
Ganguly cited Kagiso Rabada’s exclusion from the T20 side as an example. “Yes, a team makes changes when it loses but the changes have not made sense for South Africa,” Ganguly wrote. “It will be a completely new set of players and looking at the importance of the series, I find it hard to understand some of the selections. A tour by India is always special to any country and the South Africans have surprised with some ‘non-selection’.
“The exclusion of David Miller in the last ODI itself was surprising, as is the omission of Kasigo Rabada from the T20 squad. JP Duminy will be leading in the T20 format but was not included in the final one-dayer while Tabraiz Shamsi, who bowled well at Port Elizabeth, was replaced by Imran Tahir in the last game.”
Ganguly also added that India are the favorites to win the T20 series. “India proved themselves to be the superior one-day side they are, and I am sure they will continue to do so in the upcoming three-match T20 series. There is a distinct possibility that they will finish off this South Africa tour on a high. Of course, one understands that the shorter the format, the difference between the two sides reduces, but this South African unit will have to raise their standards immensely to compete with this Indian side,” he concluded.