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The Print
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Print
Is it the end of the road for Mohammed Shami?
He is not yet fit for taking up Test match workload and missing out on 10 games in Australia and now England has raised questions over his future in the format. Can the 'Amroha Express' add to his 229 wickets from 64 Test appearances? At the moment, it seems like the Indian cricket establishment is ready to move on from one of the country's greatest seam and swing exponents. However, the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday decided to play the harbinger of doom while announcing the 18-member team, which didn't feature the name of the Bengal speedster. New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Mohammed Shami's possible omission from the Indian Test squad for the England tour was doing the rounds for past one week but the eternal optimist would have loved to believe that those artistic wrists would be at work in the Old Blighty. 'He has been trying to get fit for the series but he has had a little bit of a setback for the last week or so and he has got some MRIs done. I'd like to mention, I don't think he was going to be available for all five Tests. I don't think his workload is where it needs to be,' Agarkar said. 'It's what the medical guys told us that he's been ruled out of the series,' Agarkar, a pacer of repute during his own playing days, said matter-of-factly while explaining to the media about the senior pacer's absence. In fact, BCCI's Sports Science and Medical team representative was in Lucknow earlier this week and the expert has reported that Shami's body is far from ready to take the rigours of bowling 15 to 20 overs a day and staying in the field for 90 overs. With three of the five specialist pacers in the line-up having played less than 10 Tests (Arshdeep Singh yet to make his debut in red-ball format), the selectors would have wanted to take Shami for the series, as experience isn't always found in the supermarket. It comes with years of honing the craft and Shami is a master whether it is the SG Test ball, Dukes or Kookaburra. When it comes to reverse swing, there are no peers of Indian team's favourite 'Lala'. 'Unfortunately, we were hoping that he's available for some part of the series at least. But if he's not fit at the moment, it's very difficult to be waiting. It's (the squad is) rather planned with the guys that are fit and available. 'So it's unfortunate that a bowler like him will always want to try and pick by himself. At the moment, he's not fit,' Agarkar said, his words reflecting how desperate the selectors were. While Shami played the Champions Trophy in February-March and also the bulk of the games for Sunrisers Hyderabad this IPL, he has been far from his best since his return to competitive cricket during the domestic season last year. The only first-class match that he played was the one against Madhya Pradesh on his return from ankle surgery and he bowled more than 40 overs in that Ranji Trophy game. However, many saw him taking frequent breaks between overs to get some rest. It was also learnt that Shami didn't pay heed to the team management's requests to join them in Australia as his body wasn't ready for red-ball cricket. He wanted to slowly build upon workload in white-ball games, but strangely, even after six months, his body isn't ready for Test matches. Obviously there weren't any day games to check how his body held up to the pressures of the longest format. 'If Mohammed Shami isn't available in Australia or England, why would the selectors pick him against West Indies and South Africa at home. They might as well use Akash Deep, Arshdeep, Harshit or Mukesh as Siraj or Bumrah's partner. 'Shami's body is ageing and one has to accept that he is no longer the bowler he used to be,' a former national selector told PTI on the condition of anonymity. Shami is playing white-ball cricket but during this IPL, he has looked far from his menacing self while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, getting just six wickets from nine games before being dropped from the playing XI. His official age is 34 years 263 days, but if one listens to the murmurs in the Bengal cricketing ecosystem, the UP-born pacer is believed to be close to 40 years old. The recovery for a 40-year-old pacer is doubly tough after a hard day's play. Also the Centre of Excellence (erstwhile NCA) has had a chequered record in terms of clearing cricketers, who have broken down in the middle of a series, and the magnitude of the upcoming five Tests didn't allow the selectors to take a risk that could leave them red-faced. Already there are enough questions as to how Mayank Yadav was declared fit as the bowler once again broke down after playing just two matches in the IPL. While experienced, game-changing fast bowlers are a rarity, non-selection for the England tour kind of makes the writing on the wall clear as far as Shami is concerned. PTI KHS KHS AH AH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Jasprit Bumrah Emerges As Majority Pick Of Last Selectors To Lead India In England Tests
There might be an air of doubt about Mohammed Shami's ability to last a five-Test series but erstwhile national selection committee members MSK Prasad, Devang Gandhi and Jatin Paranjpe are unequivocal that the 'Amroha Express' is a must-pick for the tour of England. Shami has played nine IPL games this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad with only six wickets in his kitty and has gone for over 11 runs per over. However it has been learnt that Shami has already started bowling with the red Dukes at the SRH nets with an eye on England tour, now that SRH's play-off qualification hopes have been dashed. The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be. While the erstwhile committee members differed on their choice of vice -captaincy, they were unanimous that one can't look beyond Jasprit Bumrah even though there remains a question mark on his fitness status. The PTI now lists the "squad selected" by Prasad, Gandhi and Paranjpe individually and some of their insights into what made them pick their players. MSK Prasad (former chairman of selectors) "My captain would be Jasprit Bumrah as he has already proven himself as a leader. As far my vice-captain is concerned, I would like Shubman Gill to gain some experience as Bumrah's deputy. In case you have a problem with Bumrah's fitness then my choice is KL Rahul," Prasad said. "As far as my assessment goes, Nitish Reddy's bowling will be more effective in England than it was in Australia. If we are taking 16, then I would want a left-arm swing bowler and my choice is Arshdeep Singh. I would like KL Rahul to bat No. 4 and my reserve opener would be Abhimanyu Easwaran." MSK Prasad's India Team 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill (vc) 5. Rishabh Pant 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10. Mohd Siraj 11. Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 14. Washington Sundar 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Abhimanyu Easwaran. Devang Gandhi (Former National Selector) "I think it is surprising that there is a debate whether Mohammed Shami would make it to the Indian team. Unless he is carrying an injury. And IPL is not an indicator of someone's Test match form. You need someone of Shami's calibre in England. Obviously if he is not performing then you look at other options," Gandhi said. "For captaincy, it would be unfair if you don't consider Bumrah for leadership. As far as Bumrah deputy goes, this is the time to show faith in Rishabh Pant as he has the best Test average in the current set-up. I would carry six specialist pacers in UK knowing that I have enough back-up for a five-match series. "My extra batter will be Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has played a few Tests and at this point is in prime form. His technique and temperament both have undergone sea change. In my opinion, Iyer's selection is a no-brainer and he should also be a part of playing eleven. We need to play six (including Rishabh Pant) specialist batters at the start of the series." Devang Gandhi's India Squad 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill 5. Rishabh Pant (wk and VC) 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9 Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10 Mohd Siraj 11 Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Harshit Rana 14. Arshdeep Singh 15. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 16. Shreyas Iyer. Jatin Paranjpe (Former National Selector) "There is no one more ideal than Jasprit Bumrah to lead the national team in traditional format. My vice-captain would be Rishabh Pant, who has had a good record in SENA countries. Pant and KL Rahul are the two batters with two Test hundreds on English soil on their previous tours," Paranjpe said. "I feel in a five-Test series, it is better to carry an extra batsman and an extra all-rounder who can bat, hence Sarfaraz Khan and Shardul Thakur will be my picks." Jatin Paranjpe's India Squad: 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Shubman Gill 4. B Sai Sudharsan 5. Shreyas Iyer 6. Sarfaraz Khan 7. Rishabh Pant (wk) 7. Shardul Thakur 8. Ravindra Jadeja 9. Kuldeep Yadav 10. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 11. Prasidh Krishna 12. Mohammed Shami 13. Mohammed Siraj 14. Nitish Reddy 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Dhruv Jurel (second wk). Gagan Khoda (Former National Selector): KL (Rahul) is my captain and I would prefer Karun Nair as an extra batter," said Khoda. Gagan Khoda's India Squad: 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul (c) 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill (vc) 5. Pant 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10. Mohammed Siraj 11. Mohammed Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 14. Shardul thakur 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Karun Nair.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
KL Rahul emerges as dark horse for India captaincy, Shubman Gill not even the vice-captain: MSK Prasad's selection team
It cannot be said with certainty what India's current selection committee of Ajit Agarkar (chief selector), Subroto Banerjee, Shiv Sundar Das, Sridharan Sharath and, Ajay Ratra are thinking about India's next Test captain but if multiple reports are to be believed then Shubman Gill is on the top of their minds. That is exactly the opposite of the thought process of the MSK Prasad-led former selection committee. The majority of Prasad's selection committee, which saw the glory days of India's test unit abroad, backed Jasprit Bumrah to take over the reins of India's Test side from Rohit Sharma, who retired from red-ball cricket earlier this month. Apart from former chief selector Prasad, the other members of the selection committee - Jatin Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi, and Gagan Khoda - did not even consider Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of India's Test side. Prasad, Paranjpe, and Gandhi picked Bumrah as the Test captain despite huge concerns over his fitness. According to Khoda, the captaincy should go to KL Rahul, who has led India on foreign tours in the past. "My captain would be Jasprit Bumrah as he has already proven himself as a leader. As far my vice-captain is concerned, I would like Shubman Gill to gain some experience as Bumrah's deputy. In case you have a problem with Bumrah's fitness then my choice is KL Rahul," Prasad told PTI. Former India opener Devang Gandhi said Rishabh Pant should be the vice-captain purely because of his record as Test batter. "For captaincy, it would be unfair if you don't consider Bumrah for leadership. As far as Bumrah deputy goes, this is the time to show faith in Rishabh Pant as he has the best Test average in the current set-up. I would carry six specialist pacers in UK knowing that I have enough back-up for a five-match series," he said. "There is no one more ideal than Jasprit Bumrah to lead the national team in traditional format. My vice-captain would be Rishabh Pant, who has had a good record in SENA countries. Pant and KL Rahul are the two batters with two Test hundreds on English soil on their previous tours," said Paranjpe. "KL (Rahul) is my captain and I would prefer Karun Nair as an extra batter," said Khoda. There might be an air of doubt about Mohammed Shami's ability to last a five-Test series but the former selectors are unequivocal that the 'Amroha Express' is a must-pick for the tour of England.. Shami has played nine IPL games this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad with only six wickets in his kitty and has gone for over 11 runs per over. However it has been learnt that Shami has already started bowling with the red Dukes at the SRH nets with an eye on England tour, now that SRH's play-off qualification hopes have been dashed. The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be. "As far as my assessment goes, Nitish Reddy's bowling will be more effective in England than it was in Australia. If we are taking 16, then I would want a left-arm swing bowler and my choice is Arshdeep Singh. I would like KL Rahul to bat No. 4 and my reserve opener would be Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasad added. "I think it is surprising that there is a debate whether Mohammed Shami would make it to the Indian team. Unless he is carrying an injury. And IPL is not an indicator of someone's Test match form. You need someone of Shami's calibre in England. Obviously if he is not performing then you look at other options," Gandhi said. "My extra batter will be Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has played a few Tests and at this point is in prime form. His technique and temperament both have undergone sea change. In my opinion, Iyer's selection is a no-brainer and he should also be a part of playing eleven. We need to play six (including Rishabh Pant) specialist batters at the start of the series," he added. 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill (vc) 5. Rishabh Pant 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10. Mohd Siraj 11. Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 14. Washington Sundar 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Abhimanyu Easwaran. 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill 5. Rishabh Pant (wk and VC) 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9 Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10 Mohd Siraj 11 Mohd Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Harshit Rana 14. Arshdeep Singh 15. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 16. Shreyas Iyer. 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul 3. Shubman Gill 4. B Sai Sudharsan 5. Shreyas Iyer 6. Sarfaraz Khan 7. Rishabh Pant (wk) 7. Shardul Thakur 8. Ravindra Jadeja 9. Kuldeep Yadav 10. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 11. Prasidh Krishna 12. Mohammed Shami 13. Mohammed Siraj 14. Nitish Reddy 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Dhruv Jurel (second wk). 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal 2. KL Rahul (c) 3. Sai Sudharsan 4. Shubman Gill (vc) 5. Pant 6. Ravindra Jadeja 7. Nitish Reddy 8. Kuldeep Yadav 9. Jasprit Bumrah (captain) 10. Mohammed Siraj 11. Mohammed Shami 12. Prasidh Krishna 13. Dhruv Jurel (wk) 14. Shardul thakur 15. Arshdeep Singh 16. Karun Nair.
