Ashish Nehra: I would love to play in the Champions Trophy
Veteran speedster Ashish Nehra has expressed his desire to be picked for the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June, saying he could also mentor the young pacers in the squad. Nehra will play the Vijay Hazare limited-overs tournament for Delhi to build his match fitness for the global event.
"I would love to play in the Champions Trophy. When you go to England you will take at least four fast bowlers in addition to two spinners. I know I can bowl anywhere: upfront, in the middle overs and at death. I can also share the experience I have with the other young fast bowlers," Nehra told ESPNCricinfo.
Nehra is seen as a Twenty20 specialist and the 37-year-old played in the recent T20 series against England. The left-arm pacer's last ODI was in 2011 and he will turn out in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy where Delhi is in Group B along with Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.
"I aim to play at least three matches to build up my match fitness. Fifty-overs is a different challenge and Vijay Hazare is a good platform to test
"Once I play these Vijay Hazare matches I will be fit enough to play and good to go for the Champions Trophy."
Asked about his chances of playing until 2019 World Cup, he said, "The 2019 World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away. We are going to play at least 50 one-dayers in between. For me every tournament is important. I will try to play as much as I can."