Mohammed Shami has participated in only one match in Asia Cup 2023. India remains the sole undefeated team in the current Asia Cup. They have secured victories against Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the six-team tournament, earning a place in the final. Despite this, the Indian team management has chosen to keep pace ace Mohammed Shami on the sidelines, opting for only two primary seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
In their most recent match against Sri Lanka, the ‘Men in Blue’ fielded Axar Patel, while Shardul Thakur played in preceding games. Paras Mhambrey, India’s bowling coach, expressed satisfaction with Bumrah’s recovery from injury and acknowledged that leaving out the experienced Shami from the starting lineup was a difficult decision.
“We have been following Bumrah’s progress from the NCA, and we are very happy with the report that we have got. Now, we have four quality bowlers, and it is always great to have those options. The problem of plenty is always good,” Mhambrey, speaking to India Today, discussed the upcoming Super Four match against Bangladesh.
“It’s not very easy to drop someone like Shami. The experience that he has and the performance that he has done for the country is phenomenal. It’s never easy to have that kind of a conversation (dropping a player),” he continued.
Photo: BCCI
Players know any decision we take they know that it is for the benefit of the team: Mhambrey
However, the 51-year-old clarified that Mohammed Shami has been informed of the rationale for his omission, and the player also recognizes that it is in the team’s best interests.
“But we are clear in the way we have gone about the conversation with the players and they have shown confidence in us. Players know any decision that we take and they know that it is for the benefit of the team,” Mhambrey concluded.
Shami boasts a record of 91 ODIs for India, accumulating 163 wickets at an average of 26.01 and a strike rate of 27.90. He stepped in for Bumrah during the Nepal match when Bumrah was absent due to personal reasons. The 33-year-old managed to secure a wicket while giving away 29 runs in his seven overs.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
