‘Why can’t proper communication come out?’: Ravi Shastri questions India’s decision to exclude Mohammed Shami from Australia tour | Cricket News

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri slammed the Indian team management for not including pacer Mohammed Shami in the entirety of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
Having been out for nearly a year since the 2023 ODI World Cup with an ankle injury, Shami marked his return to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy before extensive bowling in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while the senior side flew to Australia for the Test series. Shami continued with his rehab and recovery in India and also turned up for Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a short break.
Shami has played 12 matches across formats since October while India was left with limited options besides pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in Australia. The series concluded with Bumrah suffering a back issue after his extensive bowling load while Siraj’s workload was raised to 157.1 overs, the most among all Indian bowlers. Shastri urged that India missed a trick not having Shami flown in at some point in the five-match Test series.

Precision, Pace, and Passion, All Set to Take on the World! 🌍💪 #Shami #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/gIEfJidChX
— (@MdShami11) January 7, 2025
Shami was officially ruled out of the tour only after the third Test in Brisbane, following which the BCCI announced that the 34-year-old pacer had developed swelling on his knee.
“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 said in The ICC Review.
Shastri said that Shami and the Indian pace attack would have benefitted from his presence in Australia. “I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team,” Shastri added. “And then if we thought the third Test match that no, this guy can’t play the rest of the series, I would let him go.”

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting echoed Shastri’s words, stating that Shami would have made a significant impact on the eventual 3-1 margin of the series. “I said 3-1 Australia because Shami wasn’t there. That was the first thing I said. That’s how important I felt he was to India.
“If Shami, Bumrah and Siraj were in their starting team, things could have been completely different here in Australia,” Ponting said. Shastri believed even a half-fit Shami could have helped India in the last two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. “You just needed that experience and support. For all you know, he might have raised the bar as well. And it would have been the two guys there (Bumrah and Shami). Pat Cummins couldn’t have done it on his own, Scotty Boland had to step in. So you needed a bowler of his experience. You know, as hard as Mohammed Siraj tried, you needed Shami’s experience there,” remarked Shastri.

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