"He's been sitting in NCA for I don't know how long" Ravi Shastri tears into BCCI over Mohammed Shami's delayed recovery

Mohammed Shami is currently taking part in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed frustrations with the absence of Mohammed Shami on the Australia tour. He slammed the delayed recovery of the pacer, opining that Shami could have been sent to Australia, where India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) by 1-3 score line.

Shami last played international cricket in November 2023 during the ICC World Cup 2023 final. He then was out of action for a long time because of an ankle injury, which required surgery.

He made his comeback with the domestic season. He played one Ranji Trophy match and then played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). He is currently featuring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy but was deemed unfit to play test cricket.

Last month, the BCCI said that while Shami has completely recovered from this heel injury, he developed minor swelling while playing domestic cricket. “The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period,” the BCCI said.

I would have brought him with the team to Australia: Ravi Shastri

Speaking with the ICC, Shastri asserted that Shami could have continued his rehab in Australia and if he regained match fitness, he could have been a huge difference maker in India’s bowling attack.

“To be honest, I was very surprised with the communication going on in the media as to what exactly happened to Mohammed Shami. Where is he when it comes to recovery? He’s been sitting in the NCA for I don’t know how long. Why can’t proper communication come out on where he stands? A player of his ability, I would have brought him to Australia,” Shastri told the ICC Review.

“I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team. And then if we thought by the third Test match that no, this guy can’t play the rest of the series, I would let him go.

“But I would have brought him with the team, kept him, monitored him with the best of the physios and best of the advice even from international physios who are in Australia and seeing how he went. But I would have kept him in the mix,” Shastri added.

Shami is expected to be fit for ODI cricket and make his comeback to the Indian team in the upcoming ODI series against England.

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