India head coach Rahul Dravid has always maintained that he likes continuity and gave clear hints on Tuesday that pace sensation Umran Malik might have to wait for his turn.
Dravid was speaking ahead of the first of five-match T20I series between India and South Africa here on Thursday.
"We just have to see how much playing time we will be able to give him. We have a big squad, not possible to have everyone in the playing XI," Dravid was categorical when asked about the ‘Jammu Express’.
"I am someone who likes consistency and give people time to settle in. Arshadeep has also done well, who is also an exciting player, who bowls well.
"We have a little bit of experienced guys in Harshal, Buvi and Avesh, who played in the last series. It is exciting to have the young guys as well, it helps us broaden our pool and see what they can do," he said.
The coach, though, had words of praise for Umran and wants to see him more in Test cricket.
"He is exciting, certainly bowls quick and has pace. Another exciting thing in the IPL for me was to see the Indian players bowl really fast. The more he plays the better he gets. Very happy to have him in the mix," he said.
"As a coach I would love to see it translate to the longer format of the game," the purist in him said.
augurs well for india
Success of Indian players as captains in a tournament like IPL will eventually benefit the national team since leadership role helps in accelerating the growth of cricketers, head coach Rahul Dravid said.
Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to title in its maiden season while KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Sanju Samson too did a commendable job while leading their respective franchises in the IPL. Rahul led new entrants LSG to the playoffs in their maiden season and Samson impressed with his captaincy as he took Rajasthan Royals to a runners-up finish this season.
"It is great that we have a lot of Indian captains doing well. Hardik was one of them. Brilliant. KL did a good job at LSG and Sanju in RR. Shreyas in KKR," Dravid said at a press conference.
"It is really great to see the young batters leading the team. It helps people grow and develop as players, having to lead teams to make the decisions. It helps you grow as a person and as a player.
"It is great from our perspective that the younger Indian players are leading well in the IPL," he added.