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Unpopular Opinion: Mohammed Shami shouldn’t be wasted in white-ball formats, should only play Tests

Unpopular Opinion: Mohammed Shami shouldn’t be wasted in white-ball formats, should only play Tests

Mohammed Shami had last played for India in Oct 2023, during the World Cup final, against Australia, and has been out since, due to ankle and knee injury.

This might just be the most outrageous statement made, but then India’s ace pacer Mohammed Shami should consider retiring from white-ball formats, and focus on Tests. But why do we say so? Look, there is no doubt over the ability of the 34-year-old pacer, but what one must realise is, age is not on his side, he is now injury-prone, and yet very very special for Team India.

In 64 Tests, he has 229 wickets at an average of 27, and is perhaps India’s best bowler after Jasprit Bumrah, or almost at par with the latter. IN ODIs, he is as good, where he has 195 wickets in 101 matches, but there seem to be enough decent bowlers that the team can try out, but in Tests, that might just not be the case.

Mohammed Shami Adds Much More Value in Tests

In the recent IND vs AUS series, that we lost, Bumrah was the highest wicket-taker with 32 scalps, and did not get support from the other pacers. In short, Shami was missed dearly. It would have a different scenario perhaps, if he was there.. There is absolutely no pacer currently in Tests, who can claim to be as good as these two. IN ODIs, or even in T20Is, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj can do the job with Hardik Pandya.

IND vs ENG Series In Sight

Now, we are into the white ball season, where India is playing the T20Is, will soon head into the ODIs, and then the Champions Trophy, and then the IPL. After all this, there would be the IND vs ENG tour, where Shami will be needed. There in 14 Tests, he has 42 wickets, and without him it will be difficult to beat England. Surprisingly, his batting at No.9 or No. 10 would also be much-needed as he has scored two fifties in the nation already.

Injury Prone Shami

Shami has been practicing with a heavily strapped knee for now, and an injury now would just, more or less rule him out of IND vs ENG series. If he is left out of the white-ball formats, all this can be avoided. Look at the Champions Trophy squad, and here is Bumrah and Arshdeep already. If instead of Shami, Siraj can be picked, who has an excellent record in ODIs, that allows Shami to get extra bit of rest. Of course, Pandya can chip in with a few wickets too. Siraj has 71 wickets in 44 matches, and was is a former No. 1 bowler in the format.

So, to cut the long story short.. Yes Shami is a must in every Indian team, but then time has come for him to prioritise the Test format.

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