‘He Could Have Been The Difference’: Ponting Questions 34-Year-Old Star’s Absence From India’s BGT Squad – News18

Last Updated:January 07, 2025, 11:21 IST

The 34-year-old cricketer who, according to Ponting, could have made a difference in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, last played a red-ball match for India in the 2023 WTC final at The Oval.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting feels India missed the trick by not flying Mohammed Shami for the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. According to the 50-year-old former batter, had Shami played in the last two matches when the series was level at 1-1, he could have been the difference.

“I was really surprised when he (Shami) wasn’t flown out even halfway through the series, two Test matches in,” Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.

“India’s make-up obviously had Nitish Reddy there. So, you had another seam bowling all-rounder anyway. So, if Shami, even if he wasn’t fully fit, if he had to bowl fewer overs in a day, you had a backup seam bowling option to help him out, and I think he could have been the difference,” he added.

Ponting, who has donned the hat of an expert, commentator, and coach after calling time on his playing career, says that Shami is very important for Team India, and if he was there (in Australia) with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, then things could have been completely different.

“When you asked me (in an earlier The ICC Review) at the start about what I thought the result would be, I said 3-1 Australia because Shami wasn’t there. That was the first thing I said. That’s how important I felt he was to India. If Shami, Bumrah, and Siraj were in their starting team, I think things could have been completely different here in Australia.”

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri echoed Ponting’s views and said Shami could have provided adequate help for Bumrah.

“It got so tight at 1-1 going into Melbourne. You just needed that experience and support. For all you know, he might have raised the bar as well. And it would have been the two guys there (Bumrah and Shami).”

“Pat Cummins couldn’t have done it on his own; Scotty Boland had to step in. So, you needed a bowler of his experience. You know, as hard as Mohammed Siraj tried, you needed Shami’s experience there,” he added.

Shami hasn’t played a Test match for India since featuring in the WTC 2023 final against Australia in June 2023 at The Oval.