Take Mayank to Australia if Shami is not available: Lee

Sydney: Mayank Yadav should be on the plane to Australia if Mohammed Shami is not available for selection, asserted Brett Lee, one of the most destructive fast bowlers of all time, who has high hopes from the Indian pace sensation on the true, bouncy wickets Down Under. Aiming to qualify for a third successive World Test Championship (WTC) final, India will be travelling to Australia next month to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and doubts remain over seasoned seamer Shami’s selection in the squad for the five-match Test series. “I can tell you that batters are okay when you bowl that 135-140 kmph speed, but when you bowl high 150s, I don’t care who it is, no one wants to face that. “He looks like someone who is a complete package, if Mohammed Shami is not ready, at least get him (Mayank) in the squad. I think he would do pretty well on these Australian wickets,” Lee told Fox Cricket.

Shami has not played since featuring in the final of the ODI World Cup last November, and even though he went full tilt at the nets recently, India skipper Rohit Sharma is averse to taking an “undercooked” version of the seamer to Australia. Former Aussie pacer Lee knows a thing or two about batters’ discomfort while standing up to express pace. Lee said, “The great thing is with me that I get to work on the IPL and see a lot of good young Indian cricketers. Mayank Yadav, to watch his first IPL game recently, hit 157 kmph first up in his first game.

“Unfortunately, his franchise probably brought him a little early and he did his side again. “They put him in cotton wool for a bit. The great thing about India is that they are not worried about how much cricket someone has played or hasn’t played, if he is ready to go, get him in there. I actually love that theory,” Lee added. India boast of a world-class bowling attack that can trouble the Australian batters in their own den, and Lee acknowledged that.

“Ashwin is approaching 600 wickets, he has got that beautiful shape when he bowls spin. He can bowl with the new ball as well but I think if India have to win there, then Shami (provided he is fit) can definitely hold the key. “Jasprit Bumrah, we all know how good he is, he can bowl both ways, he is a great exponent of reverse swing. Mohammed Siraj knows how to make the new ball talk. “On wickets like Perth, Adelaide, for me it’s the combination, these three fast bowlers with Ashwin as the spinner. Then they have got options with guys like who are part-time spinners. But you need to have those three quicks firing if India wants to win,” Lee said.