"It's a Test match after 13 months" - Aakash Chopra says Mohammed Shami not being sent for BGT 2024-25 can't be grudged

Former India player Aakash Chopra reckons the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision not to send Mohammed Shami for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 can't be grudged. He pointed out that fielding the veteran seamer in a Test after a 13-month absence from international cricket might be a tall ask.

The BCCI Medical Team deemed Shami unfit for consideration for the last two Tests between India and Australia, to be played in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. As per the media advisory, the Bengal seamer's left knee exhibited a minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that cricket fans can't complain about the National Cricket Academy's (NCA) decision of not adding Shami to the visitors' BGT 2024-25 squad.

"It's been confirmed that Shami is not going. An update has finally come from the NCA about Mohammed Shami. Rohit Sharma had also spoken about it that they need news from the NCA because those people are monitoring his fitness. So an update has come from there that they have been following his progress and seeing his workload and that they are not convinced yet," he said (7:20).

"The verdict that has come from there is Mohammed Shami is not ready to become a part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and you can't grudge that either. You and I read the scorecard. There he has bowled and taken wickets, so we assume that he would be fine. However, it's a Test match after 13 months," Chopra added.

Shami last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023. His last Test match was the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June 2023.

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"I am thinking the decision that has come would be correct" - Aakash Chopra on NCA's call on Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami (right) has represented India in 64 Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Shami might be better off missing a couple of Tests.

"You start asking questions about whether there is a chance of it happening again. The swelling might be returning. You and I hardly know anything about this matter. So I am thinking the decision that has come would be correct only because you would rather lose (miss) a couple of Test matches. I am not saying you should lose the match," he said.

The analyst added that a rushed return could cause a recurrence of his injury and rule him out of action for a longer period, including next year's Champions Trophy.

"However, if he isn't available for one or two matches, you can manage. You don't want to rush him in and then he gets injured and isn't available for six months, meaning he isn't available for the Champions Trophy as well. That would be a sad story. So when you see it from that point of view, I would say if Mohammed Shami is not going, so be it," Chopra observed.

Shami played a Ranji Trophy game for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh and all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, his participation in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy depends on the progress of his knee.