What does the future hold for Mohammed Shami? As it looks at present, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee doesn’t seem to be keen on handing the veteran pacer a return to the national team, despite the increasing number of injury instances in the team. India’s preparations for the ODI World Cup in 2027 have begun, while the team has been assessing options to replace the injured Jasprit Bumrah in the team. Despite these topsy-turvy situations, Shami’s name doesn’t seem to be featuring on the table during the selection meetings.
Zaheer Khan, one of the finest pacers to have played for India, was asked about the situation Shami finds himself in. The former seamer, sharing his honest perspective on the matter, admitted that the Indian team’s priorities seem to be lying somewhere else at present. However, Zaheer doesn’t think Shami has to give up.
“It is your decision, the way you want to move forward. If you are playing matches and performing well, you remain available. I see things that way. The team’s thinking is different, but your way of thinking is important. If you want to contribute, it is your decision. The way the team is looking at things and what is going on in the scheme of things, sometimes you can analyse how you are thinking. But how can you contribute to that? As a player, you should do what Shami is doing. He is playing. As you said, he is playing matches. That is important,” he told the Times of India.
Zaheer was also asked about the growing injury list in the Indian team. While Bumrah has struggled to keep himself fit for back-to-back series, the likes of Washington Sundar, B Sai Sudharsan, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, etc. have also struggled to maintain fitness. For Zaheer, however, it’s part and parcel of the game.
“Injuries are part and parcel of the game. They are part and parcel of every individual’s journey. You can talk about workload management, but you also need to understand the timing of events. You can see some things, but overall, you have to plan accordingly. If a fast bowler sustains an injury or goes through a difficult phase, it is very important to control the things in your hands. You have to control them properly. Until you know the root cause, you can’t move forward,” he said.
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