Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 29 : Former West Indies cricketer and currently a broadcaster, Ian Bishop, urged batter Shafali Verma to embrace her opportunity for an international comeback with a "positive mindset" as she prepares to take the field during the ICC Women's World Cup semifinal against defending champions Australia at Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Shafali will be taking to the field as a replacement for opener Pratika Rawal during the semifinals, marking a major disturbance in India's top order. During the final league-stage match against Bangladesh, Rawal sustained an ankle injury while fielding and was not available to bat. This would be a massive blow to India as Pratika emerged as a more consistent force at the top, emerging as the second-highest run-getter so far in the competition with 308 runs at an average of 51.33, with a century and a fifty each. She, along with Smriti Mandhana, formed a formidable opening pair that was breaking records during the tournament.
Shafali, who has scored 644 runs in 29 innings at an average of just 23.00 with four fifties and a best score of 71*, last played an ODI against New Zealand in October. Statistically, with an average of 54.07 in 14 innings, Rawal was a massive upgrade for India at the top.
Speaking during the Media Day ahead of the semifinal organised by JioStar, Bishop termed Rawal's absence as a "significant blow given her recent form, but said that the team will to focus on Shafali turning up against Aussies and approach the match with "confidence and maximise the opportunity".
"Rawal's absence is a significant blow considering her recent form and all-round contributions with bat and ball. However, in a World Cup semi-final, the team has to focus on the next player stepping up. Whether India chooses Shafali Verma, who has a modest record against Australia, but has been scoring runs in T20s recently, will be a crucial team decision. It's important not to dwell on the loss, but to approach the match with confidence and maximise the opportunity. This mindset is exactly what Australia excels at, replacing key players seamlessly with confidence from the team's support system," said Bishop.
Bishop admitted that playing ODIs after such a long break would not be easy for Shafali.
"Shafali's recent international form has not been great, but this is a one-off opportunity she must embrace with a positive mindset. She should see this as a chance to make a significant impact for her team and country rather than feel pressured. Staying relaxed yet determined to make the best use of this opportunity will be key. Her execution will depend largely on how well she has prepared in practice sessions leading up to the match," he added.
In five T20Is this year, Shafali has shown solid form, scoring 176 runs in five innings at an average of 35.20 and a strike rate of over 158, with a solitary half-century and a best score of 75. She also had a fine Women's Premier League (WPL) season with Delhi Capitals (DC), scoring 304 runs in 9 innings at an average of 38.00, with a best score of 80* and a half-century.
Shafali's last five outings, including four India A ODIs and an unofficial Test, are: 70, 35 and 52, 52, 4 and 36.