NEW DELHI: West Indies quick bowling legend Andy Roberts has praised veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, highlighting him as “India’s best bowler,
Roberts, a prominent member of the formidable West Indies pace quartet of the 1970s and 1980s, which included Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Colin Croft, emphasized Shami’s exceptional control and his proficiency in swinging and seaming the ball in both directions.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
“Shami has been India’s best bowler for a whereas,” Roberts told Mid-Day. “He could not get the quantity of wickets Jasprit Bumrah will get, however he is the full package deal and is extra constant than the relaxation. Shami swings the ball, Shami seams the ball, and Shami’s management is pretty much as good as Bumrah’s. Shami ought to play. Mohd. Siraj is nowhere close to Shami.”
Roberts also expressed his reservations regarding India’s choice to bat first in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. India ultimately lost that match by 10 wickets.
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“Why did you guys [India] bat first? India’s quick bowlers bowled Australia out cheaply in each innings (104 and 238) at Perth. If my quick bowlers outbowl the opposition pacers in the earlier Test, I’m not going to give the rivals the first choice in the subsequent Test. Remember, you aren’t taking part in on Indian pitches. These have bounce, and you might be taking part in just one spinner; the ball hardly turns. Plus, you did not put sufficient runs on the board,” Roberts said.
Shami has been dealing with injury concerns that have kept him out of action. He recently demonstrated impressive form for Bengal in both the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournaments.
Rohit Sharma press conference after loss in Adelaide Test vs Australia
However, despite these performances, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has yet to give Shami the green light to return for the remaining matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Following India’s defeat in Adelaide, captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged Shami’s value to the team, saying, “Doors are all the time open for Shami.”
Currently, the 5-match sequence is tied at 1-1. The chance of Shami’s participation in the remaining matches stays unsure. However, his return may considerably bolster India’s probabilities.
