Despite making a statement by giving out some memorable performances in the Ranji Trophy, the free flowing aggressive batsman Owais Shah has not been handed a single match during current Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy tournament.
Initially kept out of the Ranji Trophy team , that selectors know why, Owais Shah made stunning comeback in the team when called in. he played some aggressive innings for the team when all other J&K batsman failed. All the innings played by Owais Shah were under pressure and at crucial junctures. The innings were mostly also played on bowling friendly pitches were other batsman had struggled.
However, one quality that stood apart was his aggressive nature of batting wherein he went after bowlers. That quality made Srinagar born Owais Shah an automatic choice into J&K T20 team.
However, till now, J&K has played five matches in the tournament and this lad has not been handed even a single match. The decision can raise many questions and only team management knows the position better than us. However, one can’t ignore such a batsman who was in nice touch through the Ranji season. Owais scored 281 runs for J&K this season after been brought into side midway. He also bowls leg break.
The team combination would have been a major issue to bring him into the squad but sanity says that he should have been the first choice to make the squad. However, team management preferred others over him puts question mark on the wisdom of the management. Now they may offer him one match but that will never suffix. Even though he was already ignored for One Day format earlier in the season.
Owais Shah looks totally unlucky batsman as since making his debut in year 2012, he has only played 12 first class, 3 List A and 4 T20’s. This year his inclusion in the team was about form rather than anything else. He was in nice touch and had scored runs in Ranji at reasonably quick.