"This is a slightly sad story, but this is the story" - Aakash Chopra on the chances of Mohammed Shami being sent for BGT 2024-25
Aakash Chopra has noted that Mohammed Shami has performed decently in the few domestic games he has played since his return after a prolonged break due to an ankle injury. However, the cricketer-turned-commentator reckons the veteran seamer is not in Team India's scheme of things for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Shami wasn't picked in India's 18-member squad for the five-match Test series against Australia. However, reports suggested that the Bengal seamer might be added to the squad in the middle of the series once he proves his fitness in a few domestic games.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that Rohit Sharma's recent response about Shami suggests that the seamer isn't in the visitors' thoughts for the ongoing BGT.
"Mohammed Shami has played a lot of cricket. Of course, he started playing cricket after a year. So there was a lot of skepticism about whether he would be fit or not and that he shouldn't get injured again. However, he has been playing thus far and he has looked quite okay," he said (5:55).
"However, when you asked Rohit Sharma the same question, he said - 'the door is open but we don't want to rush him in.' That's a very mixed kind of signal about whether he is going to come or not. Things are pointing in the direction that he is not going to come. If you are reluctant to send, maybe he is not in your scheme of things. This is a slightly sad story, but this is the story," Chopra added.
In the press conference after the Adelaide Test, Rohit was asked about Shami's potential addition to the Indian squad. He responded that the team management wanted to be careful as the seamer had some swelling in his knee while playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
"I feel the Indian management thinks that Mohammed Shami is not ready" - Aakash Chopra
![Mohammed Shami last played for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/18daa-17340650829007-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Indian think tank believes Mohammed Shami is not yet ready for Test cricket.
"I feel the Indian management, which includes the captain, coach and selectors, thinks that Mohammed Shami is not ready, that whatever they have seen is not good enough. Rohit Sharma actually said two times that he had a swelling in his leg. One was after the practice session, and then another swelling when he was playing a match," he said.
The analyst added that Shami is unlikely to travel for the Australia series.
"At times, the communication doesn't reach us. Maybe that is already happening, and we don't get to know that he is having difficulties, it's not in the public domain yet. I am not privy to any information, but it seems like Shami will not go for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, or else he would have gone by now," Chopra reasoned.
Chopra pointed out that Shami should have already been on the flight to Australia if his body had responded to the workload decently. While acknowledging that the right-arm seamer would have missed the Brisbane game starting on Saturday, December 14, the former India batter added that he would have been ready for the Boxing Day Melbourne Test.