File photo of Mohammed Shami.© AFP
Mohammed Shami’s potential return to international cricket was further delayed after the player’s name was missing from India’s playing XI against England for the first T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday. The right-arm pacer stayed on the sidelines due to a prolonged injury lay-off. Shami, who has already proved his fitness in practice sessions and domestic cricket for Bengal, was not there in the India playing XI. Notably, India played with one pure pacer in Arshdeep Singh while opting for three spin-bowling options.
While Shami’s absence from the playing XI raised several doubts about his fitness, India opener Abhishek Sharma, after the game, said that such a call would have been made by the team management keeping the playing conditions in mind.
India’s team combination paid off as the side outplayed England by 7 wickets in the first T20I. However, former India batter Aakash Chopra raised concerns about Shami’s absence.
“One match has passed, and only four are left. He hasn’t played the first match, and if he hasn’t played, the only meaning of that is he wasn’t 100 per cent fit. If he had been fit, no excuse would work, that the pitch wasn’t good, you wanted to play spin, you wished to play Ravi Bishnoi as well, and wanted to go with three spinners,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Please don’t give me that. Just cut the thing and play Shami. I am a little worried. Four matches are left but the turnarounds are quick. Traveling also takes a toll. You might go in chartered flights but it’s tough. He couldn’t play the match. It means he is still not fully fit, and that is a thing we should be worried about,” Chopra added.
In the five-match T20I series, India are set to take on England in the second match in Chennai on January 25.
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