World cup 2015: Indian team lacks genuine all-rounders, says Mohinder Amarnath

NEW DELHI: Having taken India to World Cup glory in 1983 by his all-round performance, Mohinder Amarnath feels the current side lacks "genuine" all-rounders and the bowlers are trying to bowl too quick instead of focussing on line and length.

"In one-day cricket all-rounders make a lot of Difference. And in this team I don't see any genuine all-rounders. See when we play in India or the sub-continent then the conditions are to our liking, so probably anybody can bat, so it doesn't mean you become a genuine all-rounder," Amarnath told PTI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a 'Royal Stag Barrel Select Perfect Strokes' event, here.

"The last genuine all-rounder I can think of is Kapil Dev and after that we have not produced any genuine all-rounder," the former cricketer added.

If captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has banked on Ravindra Jadeja to do the all-rounder's role many a time in ODIs then Stuart Binny's, a middle-order batsman who can double up as a useful medium-pacer, emergence has also helped the Men in Blue.

Amarnath, who has played with Stuart's father Roger in the 83' World Cup, feels that the Bangalore boy is shaping up well.

"Stuart Binny is still new, he is inexperienced when you talk of international cricket but yes he has the potential to become a good player. It's not an easy job when you have to perform in both the departments and usually the all-rounders are either frontline batsmen or frontline bowlers.

"So at the moment Stuart is doing a little bit of both and because he is coming in at No.7, it's not easy to get runs or take the attack to the opposition. So the potential is there and how well he can handle the pressure is very important," Amarnath opines.

Amarnath, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his stellar show with bat and ball against the mighty West Indies in the Prudential World Cup final at Lord's, said that Indian bowlers are not sticking to their basics and trying to play copycats.

"I think the Indians are trying to bowl too quick. It usually happens that when you see more bounce on pitches, which you don't see in India, then you tend to get excited. One feels if others can do it then why can't I. But it's not a very good strategy," he said