‘I cannot select myself’ – Umesh Yadav desires for India comeback

Umesh Yadav, 37, hasn’t played for India since June 2023. However, the right-arm speedster has hopes of making a comeback to the national team with notable performances in domestic cricket. He also wishes to work on his fitness and make his way back into the team.

Umesh has played 57 Tests, 75 ODIs, and nine T20Is for the Men in Blue. He has accounted for 170, 106, and 12 wickets across the three formats, respectively. His best outings came in the red-ball format, where he was a workhorse, having the ability to bowl long spells in challenging conditions.

Umesh was different to most other Indian seamers as he had a better record at home than in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, which offer more help to the quicker bowlers. At home, he picked up 101 wickets from 32 Tests at an average of 25.89 and a strike rate of 48. Meanwhile, in SENA countries, he bagged 46 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 41.41 and a strike rate of 61.50.

“Efforts to make a comeback are complete. I cannot select myself. I will have to play some matches, get fit. To come back, I will have to play competitive cricket. My effort is to get fit and come back in the team,” Umesh told Sports Tak.

Furthermore, Umesh recollected his journey to the international arena and stated that he never thought that he would end up playing for India one day.

“When I started playing cricket, I never thought that I will play this, I will play that, I would play for India. I am a natural fast bowler. I have been bowling fast since childhood. I never went to any academy or nets. That is why I never thought that I would play for India. I kept on playing. Someone told me to play this, someone told me to play that. While playing, the son of a coal miner is sitting here playing for India. I think some things that are meant to happen, happen. I always say that fast bowlers are natural; you cannot make them fast bowlers,” the Nagpur-born added.