Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri asserted that ace Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had another 30 to 40 wickets in him for the national team. Notably, Shami bid his adieu to the longest format of the game on Friday, November 6.
Shami played his last Test in the World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final against Australia at The Oval. He ended his 13-year Test career with 64 games, scalping 229 wickets, the sixth-most by an Indian pacer.
Speaking to Sony LIV’s Extraaa Innings, Shastri questioned selectors over Shami’s retirement, adding that there is no point in being fit in the gym if a pacer can’t bowl 10 or 12 overs in a red-ball game. Notably, Shami was recently seen bowling 15-20 overs in an innings for Bengal.
“All these reports I heard that his fitness is not good… he was playing every game for Bengal. He was bowling 15-20 overs. What else do you want for a player to prove his fitness? He’s winning the Duleep Trophy for East Zone. He’s bowling his heart out for Bengal, taking wickets and you want to test his fitness? What’s the point in being fit in the gym if you can’t bowl 10 or 12 overs in a game? Here you’ve got a workhorse who’s bowling for you. So I’m a little disappointed that he didn’t get another year,” Shastri said on Sony LIV’s Extraaa Innings.
“It’s sad when someone who’s played so well for the country has to go. I definitely thought he had another 30-40 wickets in him. Shami should have played in the last 12 months, maybe he should have been on this tour (of New Zealand) as a Test match bowler. Unfortunately, it’s his call. He’s made up his mind because I think he still had something to offer,” he added.
“I never saw Kapil Dev in the gym. 131 Test matches on the trot, he missed one. Would just run and bowl. Played that length of time. The other one was our best batsman, Gavaskar. He would run one or maybe two rounds (in training). But who would run between the wickets? Sunny! First man to 10,000 runs and he could bat for a day and a half. When your backs are against the wall, you have to save the Test match. That man would bat. So, what has the gym got to do with it when he’s getting 10,000 runs before anybody else?” Shastri concluded.
