ICC World Test Championship Final - Australia v India

Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting question Mohammed Shami’s injury management

By Prakhar Sachdeo

Former cricket greats Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting have raised questions over Mohammed Shami’s injury management. They believe that Shami’s prescence could have titled odds in India’s favour had he been added to the squad in the second half of the five-match Border-Gavaskar series.

The pacer, after recovering from an ankle injury, returned to action for his home state Bengal and impressed in all the three formats — Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and Vijay Hazare one-dayers –, raising hopes of a late inclusion.

But he was officially ruled out before the fourth Test in Melbourne with the BCCI medical team citing a knee swelling, though both Ponting and Shastri believe a trip to Australia and a return late in the series could have been pushed.

“To be honest, I was very surprised with the communication going on in the media as to what exactly happened to Mohammed Shami,” the former Indian head coach told The ICC Review. The 62-year-old further said it would have been beneficial if Shami had, at least, travelled with the group in Australia. “I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team,” said Shastri.

Echoing Shastri’s views, Australian World Cup-winning captain Ponting said: “I was really surprised when he wasn’t flown out even halfway through the series, two Test matches in.” “India’s make-up obviously had Nitish Reddy there. So you had another seam bowling all-rounder anyway. “So, if Shami, even if he wasn’t fully fit, if he had to bowl fewer overs in a day, you had a backup seam bowling option to help him out and I think he could have been the difference.

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