India’s Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)
India recently announced their squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which follows the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies.
Mohammed Shami could soon find his way back into the India squad, according to former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin , who believes the change in the selection setup may open the door for the veteran pacer. The biggest talking point from the selection was the return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the national side after a four-year absence. The squad was also the first selected after Ajit Agarkar completed his stint as chief selector. With Agarkar no longer part of the setup, Ashwin feels India could be moving towards a greater reliance on experience, particularly with Jasprit Bumrah ‘s workload being managed regularly.
But I am extremely happy that Bhuvneshwar has broken down the door for his selection,” Ashwin said. “The chairman of selectors is set to be changed. Ajit Agarkar is no longer a part of the setup. Maybe Ajit focused more on youngsters and newcomers. But now you see, without Bumrah, India’s bowling attack can be a little susceptible. The BCCI is now leaning towards experience. The fact that they have picked Bhuvneshwar (Kumar), I wouldn’t say that the door is shut on (Mohammed) Shami either. His absence from the national side had also led to repeated exchanges between Shami and Agarkar over his non-selection.
Agarkar had previously indicated that Shami was not fully fit, but the pacer showcased his fitness by playing domestic cricket and regularly picking up wickets.