Former India player Aakash Chopra reckons the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision not to send Mohammed Shami for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 can’t be grudged. He pointed out that fielding the veteran seamer in a Test after a 13-month absence from international cricket might be a tall ask.
The BCCI Medical Team deemed Shami unfit for consideration for the last two Tests between India and Australia, to be played in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. As per the media advisory, the Bengal seamer’s left knee exhibited a minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India opener noted that cricket fans can’t complain about the National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) decision of not adding Shami to the visitors’ BGT 2024-25 squad.
Shami last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023. His last Test match was the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June 2023.
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Shami might be better off missing a couple of Tests.
The analyst added that a rushed return could cause a recurrence of his injury and rule him out of action for a longer period, including next year’s Champions Trophy.
Shami played a Ranji Trophy game for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh and all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, his participation in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy depends on the progress of his knee.
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