Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
The real talking point in India’s squad selection for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa has been the omission of Mohammed Shami. On Wednesday, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced a 15-member squad, and Rishabh Pant coming in for N Jagadeesan and Akash Deep in place of Prasidh Krishna were expected. Shami wasn’t considered and his exclusion naturally has divided opinions.
There’s a school of thought that the veteran fast bowler, one of the finest-ever in Indian cricket, has been unfairly treated. The counter-view is that the selectors still have every reason to be sceptical about Shami’s fitness.
A few days ago, there was a war of words between Shami and Agarkar over the player’s fitness, with the former saying it wasn’t his job to “constantly update” the selection panel. The chief selector responded to it, raising concerns over the seamer’s fitness and asserting that he would have been picked for the Test series in England in the summer if he were fit.
Shami has since played three Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal, bowling 92.2 overs and taking 15 wickets. In the last game against Tripura, he, however, went wicketless. All said and done, Shami has proven his match fitness for the longer format. So, why wasn’t he considered? Has the current Indian think-tank — team management and the selectors — moved on from him?
Zubin Bharucha, the former Mumbai batsman who is now one of the most respected coaches in the country, feels that Shami needs to do more in terms of his fitness. “(Over the years) clearly (his) bowling and wicket-taking have matured to world-class status but it has to coincide with world-class physical standards specifically for his trade,” Bharucha said, speaking to RevSportz. “But unfortunately you do not see that with Shami and it could become the only reason that will stop him becoming an all-time great, which clearly his trajectory and (the) numbers suggest he should become.”
Bharucha, who has mother-henned players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, is of the view that physical fitness is the only thing that is stopping Shami.
“You have to be incredibly committed to your art as a fast bowler, it takes much more than a batter or a spinner to maintain yourself with the rigours that the art demands, alongside the amount of cricket that needs to be played,” said the renowned coach. “Hence it requires a super-human effort to play a hundred Tests as a fast bowler these days and if you do, then automatically you will probably end up with 400-odd wickets (at an average of around 27), and that puts you in that greatness discussion.
“And the only thing stopping him is physical — the discipline required to maintain yourself physically is what will differentiate the good from the great in fast-bowling terms (you can get away with it as a batter or spinner but not as a fast bowler).”
Last week, in an interview with RevSportz, former chief selector MSK Prasad had spoken about why Shami should be part of the Test squad against South Africa. “He (Shami) should definitely be part of the Test squad against South Africa, and then take it forward from there,” Prasad had said. “He is playing first-class cricket, and given the number of overs he has bowled, it’s clear that he is fully fit. Also, he is part of the central contract system, which means that he is firmly in the Indian scheme of things.”
Shami has 229 wickets from 64 Tests at an average of 27.71. He is one of the very best the country has produced, and he is still a centrally contracted player. He deserves clear communication from the selection committee and the team management over his international future.
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