Aggressive style best suited for Khaleel Ahmed, opines childhood coach

Khaleel’s bowling has been put under the scanner after he received severe criticism in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh. And now the southpaw’s coach, Imtiyas Ali Khan, has expressed his disappointment and questioned the Team India coaches’ approach in dealing with the young paceman.

"My question is, when Khaleel is with Team India, what the coaches are doing there? They cannot take out 100 percent from such a talented player and are failing to motivate him," he was quoted as saying by the TOI.

The coach, from Tonk, further believes that the T20 format does more bad than good to cricketers. He has asked the BCCI to play new talents in ODIs first, before investing them in T20Is. 

"Even when he was included in T20Is, my advice to him was that he should withdraw his name from there. I told him play IPL as that will be your earning and play ODIs if you get a call-up.

"Also, I feel he can be a very good Test cricketer. The T20 platform can do more bad than good to a young cricketer given the pitches you get, they are flat, boundaries are short, you get to face the best batsmen in the world, and this can dent a youngster's confidence,” Imtiyas opined.

"BCCI must ensure that new players should play in ODIs first and give them confidence and polish them. Only after this, the players should be included in the T20Is," he concluded.