I would've taken Shami to Australia - Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri questioned the handling of Mohammed Shami's fitness and return to action, and stated that he would've taken him to Australia and let the medical team monitor him on the tour.

Following an incredible 2023 World Cup campaign at home, the fast bowler needed an ankle surgery in February 2024 that laid him low for a long period. It took until last November to make a competitive return through Ranji Trophy. He featured in all three domestic competitions for Bengal over the course of the next one month but yet wasn't given an all-clear from the NCA for him to travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy even midway through the series. In the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, Shami was officially ruled out of joining the Indian squad for what remained on the tour of Australia.

"I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team," Shastri told the ICC Review. "And then if we thought by the third Test match that no, this guy can't play the rest of the series, I would let him go.

"But I would have brought him with the team, kept him, monitored him with the best of the physios and best of the advice even from international physios who are in Australia and seeing how he went. But I would have kept him in the mix," he added.

"To be honest, I was very surprised with the communication going on in the media as to what exactly happened to Shami. Where is he when it comes to recovery? He's been sitting in the NCA for I don't know how long. Why can't proper communication come out on where he stands? A player of his ability, I would have brought him to Australia."

Shastri felt Shami's inclusion would've not just added experience but also helped lessen the pressure and workload on Jasprit Bumrah's shoulders. India's stand-in captain had an incredible series, picking 32 wickets at an average of 13.06. He however, bowled as many as 151.2 overs in the series and suffered a back spasm that kept him out of action on the final day of the SCG Test and crucially left India a pacer short.

"It got so tight at 1-1 going into Melbourne. You just needed that experience and support. For all you know, he might have raised the bar as well. And it would have been the two guys there (Bumrah and Shami).

"Pat Cummins couldn't have done it on his own, Scotty Boland had to step in. So you needed a bowler of his experience. You know, as hard as Mohammed Siraj tried, you needed Shami's experience there," Shastri added.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting echoed Shastri's thoughts. "If Shami, Bumrah and Siraj were in their starting team, I think things could have been completely different here in Australia," Ponting told the ICC Review.

"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," Ponting added.