Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra has called Ishant Sharma the "least talented" among the current crop of pacers in the country, adding that the lanky bowler managed to play 60 plus Tests by virtue of his dedication and hard work.
"I am a big fan of Umesh Yadav -- talent wise even though he has not fulfilled his true potential as to what he should have achieved by now. He is somewhat similar to me but my case was more to do with injuries. Varun (Aaron) and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) are also talented.
"But Ishant Sharma, who has played 60 Test matches (62) is the least talented among them but one of the most hardworking guys around," Nehra told PTI in an interview.
"If Ishant has played so much and for so long, it is a testimony that talent alone can't be the recipe for success. Talent can only take you till certain point but is nothing without hardwork," said Nehra, who has played 120 ODIs, including two World Cups apart from 17 Tests, for India.
Asked if he found Ishant's strike-rate (wicket per 11 overs) a bit too high, Nehra said, "Look, there is a perception about Ishant. I agree his strike-rate is on the higher side but in last one year, he has taken five-fors in New Zealand and England.
"So he is improving. Don't forget, he is only 27 and has already played 62 Tests because he started at 18.
"We should not put undue pressure on him and start saying 'drop Ishant Sharma and get someone new'. What will happen if he is dropped? Nothing will happen.
"BCCI should just ensure that a fast bowler is given enough time and confidence to settle down. Dropping a bowler after one bad series can't be a solution. A new fast bowler would take at least two series to just settle down," explained Nehra.
