"Want To See A Perfect Send-Off For My Good Friend": Wasim Akram Ahead Of India's Last T20 World Cup Match Against Namibia
While Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli achieved great success in Test cricket and even in bilateral white-ball cricket, they failed to deliver any major ICC trophy.
Highlights
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Wasim Akram feels India has nothing much at stake against Namibia
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He also wished Ravi Shastri a perfect send-off
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India are out of semifinal contention
India's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign will come to an end on Monday after their last Super 12 clash, against Namibia. India are out of contention for a place in the semi-final as Pakistan and New Zealand have already sealed the top two slots from Group 2. India had lost to both the teams in their first two encounters, before registering big wins against Afghanistan and Scotland. India needed the Afghans to surprise the Blackcaps, to have any hopes of reaching the last 4 but those hopes were dashed after Kane Williamson's team beat Afghanistan on Sunday.
The match against Namibia will bring the curtains down on the long and fruitful partnership between captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri. While Kohli will step down as India's skipper in T20 cricket after Monday's clash, Shastri's tenure as head coach will also end, with former India captain Rahul Dravid taking over the reins from November 17, when India take on New Zealand in a T20I series at home, followed by a Test series.
While Shastri and Kohli achieved great success in Test cricket and even in bilateral white-ball cricket, they failed to deliver any major ICC trophy. India had lost in the semi-final of the 50-over World Cup in 2019, and this campaign has been an eye-opener in many ways.
Shastri, during his earlier term as team director, had seen India lose in the semi-final of the 2015 ICC World Cup and then in the last 4 of the 2016 ICC WT20.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who spent a lot of time with Shastri during their days as commentators, took to social media platform Koo and wished that his friend gets a "perfect send-off" when India take on Namibia.
"India has nothing much at stake in their final match against Namibia. But there are a few things to look out for. I for one want to see Virat lead for one final time in T20 #cricket. Rohit & Rahul can go really beserk. Bumrah, Shami, Ashwin & Jadeja can strike a few blows. Above all I want to see a perfect send-off for my good friend Shaz as India coach. Well done buddy on your stint #T20WorldCup," Akram posted on his Koo handle.
Rohit Sharma has been strongly tipped to take over as captain in T20 cricket. But the big decision regarding India's ODI captaincy needs to be looked at with just two years to go for the ICC World Cup 2023.
India Cricket Team
Virat Kohli