Ravi Shastri blamed the BCCI for Mohammed Shami’s poor recovery, adding that the pacer should have been flown to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has no doubts that  presence towards the latter half of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy would have made a difference in the outcome of the series, which Australia won 3-1 despite losing the first Test in Perth. Shami, who hasn’t played international cricket since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, made a comeback to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, giving rise to hopes of a late entry into India’s squad in Australia.

Shami bowled 43 overs in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in November 2024. Following this, he played in all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he also engaged in additional bowling sessions on the sidelines to build his bowling volume and prepare for the Test matches.

However, three days before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, when the series was still locked 1-1, for the remaining two Tests in Australia.

“His left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period. Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” BCCI said in an official release.

Shastri said he was “very surprised” by India’s decision. “To be honest, I was very surprised with the communication going on in the media as to what exactly happened to Mohammed Shami,” Shastri told ICC.

The former India all-rounder slammed BCCI’s medical team for lack of proper communication regarding Shami’s fitness. “Where is he when it comes to recovery? He’s been sitting in the NCA for I don’t know how long. Why can’t proper communication come out on where he stands? A player of his ability, I would have brought him to Australia,” he added.

‘I would have kept Shami in Australia’: Shastri

Shami’s absence put a lot of burden on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The lack of a proper and experienced third seamer did not allow India to keep the pressure on from both ends, especially in the last three Tests of the series.

Shastri said it would have been a better idea to keep Shami with the team in Australia and assess his situation by making him bowl at the nets.

“I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team. And then if we thought by the third Test match that no, this guy can’t play the rest of the series, I would let him go. But I would have brought him with the team, kept him, monitored him with the best of the physios and best of the advice even from international physios who are in Australia and seeing how he went. But I would have kept him in the mix,” Shastri said.