There are better fast bowlers in Indian T20 cricket than Shami: Ricky Ponting
Dubai (PTI): Australian legend Ricky Ponting feels Mohammed Shami's strength lies in the longest format and there are better quick bowlers in India's T20 set up, weighing in on his absence from the Asia Cup squad.
India have picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh as the three specialist fast bowlers with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the fourth pacer in the 15-member squad.
"He's (Shami) been a very, very good bowler for India for a long time now. If you look at his strengths, his Test cricket is probably where he thrives the most," Ponting, a two-time World Cup-winning captain, said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
"I think there are better fast bowlers in Indian T20 cricket than Shami and they've only named three (for the Asia Cup). So if there's potentially four named in the squad he might be the fourth man in."
With Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel nursing injuries, many felt Shami might be included to share the new-ball duties during the Asia Cup.
"I would think they'll probably only have the four quicks coming to Australia. They'll still want to bring a lot of spin here even though the wickets are probably not that conducive," Ponting said.
The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Sharjah from August 27 to September 11 and Ponting picked India as the favourites to win the tournament.
"It's always hard to go past India in any tournament, not just an Asia Cup, but I think every time we talk about the T20 World Cup which is coming up, I think that India will be right in the thick of it there," the 47-year-old said.
"Their depth is definitely better than the other teams and I think India will win the Asia Cup."
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan haven't competed in a bilateral series for nearly a decade now.
"To be totally honest it's one that we've been starved of, haven't we looking back the last 15 or 20 years," Ponting said.
"As a cricket lover like I am and a cricket observer, any time those sorts of battles come up it's almost always nice to sit back and watch because everything just goes up a notch, doesn't it?
"When I think about rivalries, Australia and England and Ashes cricket is the pinnacle I've always thought of for our Test match game. I'm sure India and Pakistanis will say the same about that and the actual rivalry would be the pinnacle of Test match cricket for those two countries as well."
Ponting believes India have the depth to prevail over Pakistan.
"I'll stick with India to win that clash against Pakistan. That's taking nothing away from Pakistan because they are an incredible cricket nation that continue to present out-and-out superstar players." PTI ATK
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FIR registered against nurse, doc, pvt hospital mgt after finger of infant partially severed
Bengaluru (PTI): A case was registered against the nurse, doctor and management of a private hospital here for alleged negligence after the finger of a six-month-old baby boy was partially severed during the discharge process, police said on Wednesday.
According to police, in his complaint, Vijay Kumar said that on February 19, he took his six-month-old child to a private hospital in Indiranagar here for consultation after he developed fever and cold. As per the doctor's advise, he was admitted for further treatment at about 10.57 am.
He was to be discharged at 3 pm on February 24 and accordingly, the hospital bill was paid while the discharge process was going on in the ward.
At the time of discharge, the nurse on duty removed the drip. While removing the dressing, she allegedly cut the tip of the little finger on the child's left hand. Due to this, the child suffered severe pain and injury, he alleged, as per the FIR.
"Immediately thereafter, the child was taken to the emergency ward, where dressing was done and a plaster was applied. Initially, the concerned staff informed us that it was not a major injury and that since the child is small, it would heal on its own. However, due to their negligence, my 6-month-old child sustained a serious injury to the little finger of his left hand, causing immense pain and damage," the FIR read.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered under section 125 (b) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the nurse, doctor and the management of the hospital and the matter is being investigated.
