Before taking charge of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir gave the message that the cricketers of the national team should be ready to play all types of cricket. It is not right to impose decisions on senior cricketers. Like a former coach of the national team. Taking the example of Mohammed Shami, he said, coach Gambhir should sit down with him and discuss the future.
Shami has been sidelined since last year’s one-day World Cup with an ankle injury. The Bengal cricketer is yet to return to competitive cricket after the surgery. Too much cricket can throw a cricketer like Shami off the field again. In an interview with an all-India daily, Abashani Parash Mambar said: The former bowling coach of the Indian team advisedly said, “In a few days, Shami will return to the field. The new coaching staff of the Indian team should talk to him. Shami is not young.
How many days you want to play cricket and how you want to play—these things need to be known. It is necessary to decide how to use it to get the best results. It doesn’t seem to be a problem. I am sure Gambhir will bring out the best in him.”
Mambre feels that Shami can play for another two or three years if he can maintain his fitness. His statement, “Shami is one of the best bowlers in the world. We all know what he can do. Shami being fully fit for the tour of Australia is important, given Test cricket. That plan should be done from now on. It is also true that Shami has not been in cricket for a long time. He has to play some matches before going to Australia. After returning to the field, he has to understand how much pressure his body can take.
India has several important competitions on its schedule, like the Test World Championship and the Champions Trophy. Mambar feels that Shami can still play an important role in Test and ODI cricket. The Indian team needs a proper plan for good results with the 33-year-old bowler, he claimed. Mambre said, “Shamir should get importance as a senior like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja. In the last one-day World Cup, Shami has made his needs clear. The Indian team needs him for some more days.
