Former Pacer all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Indian Team has made the right decision by delaying Mohammed Shami’s return following his long-term injury sidelined during the first T20I against England.
Shami was not included in India playing 11 for the first T20I of England’s tour of India 2025 on January 22 despite proving his fitness in practice sessions and domestic cricket.
With cricket fans anticipating Shami’s return on the first T20I, India opted to take three spinners to the field which paid off as they bowled out England for 132 runs before chasing to the target in 12.5 overs with seven wickets in hand.
Irfan said Mohammed Shami is experienced enough to take an honest assessment of his body.
“When you’ve been such a seasoned campaigner and are among India’s top 10 bowlers, you understand your body’s limits well,” said Irfan.
“Shami always provides honest feedback to the team management, and decisions are made through mutual communication. Recovery at the highest level takes time, especially after playing consistently. I believe he and the team management will make the right call at the right time.”
Shami underwent surgery and rehab following an ankle injury he sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he finished as India’s top wicket-taker, Shami had made an impressive return in domestic cricket and represented Bengal across all three format.
He also regrets on Mohammed Siraj being ruled out of India’s Champions Trophy squad.
“You need a backup pacer. Siraj could have been a good option. In Dubai, playing four spinners isn’t viable. With Bumrah and Shami returning from injuries, it won’t be easy for them straight away,” he observed.
“A pacer like Siraj would have filled that gap. That said, we hope the selectors’ choices perform well, and we should back them,” he added.
Ifran also addressed the poor run of the senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during India’s humiliating 1-3 series defeat in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
He also advised fans not to conflate thecelebrated duo’s test struggles with their prospects in white-ball cricket.
“They’ll start scoring runs in white-ball cricket; there’s no doubt about that,” Irfan said.
“Test cricket is a different ball game altogether. Adjustments are needed, whether it’s Virat managing deliveries outside the off-stump or Rohit finding his rhythm. ODI is their favourite format, and they’ll bounce back strongly.”
Recalling India’s resilience during the 2003-04 Australia tour, Irfan further shared a motivational anecdote.
“Back then, Dean Jones visited our dressing room and mentioned how outsiders thought our team environment was broken. But we showed unity on the field and drew the series 1-1. Indian cricket is always above individual concerns,” he asserted.
Irfan Pathan also spoke about the importance of test cricket urging players to participate regularly.
“It’s about playing domestic cricket but do not play a couple of matches just for the sake of it and show that you’ve played.
“Playing regularly benefits both players and Indian cricket. For young players, competing against the likes of Kohli or Rohit at the domestic level can be a tremendous confidence boost as they would also raise their levels to bowl to them. Ultimately, Indian cricket gains from this,” he added.
India secured a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five match T20I series and the second match will be played on January 25 at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
