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With veteran pacer Mohammad Shami keen on giving the Indian think tank some fresh headaches in the absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, former Australian cricketer Shane Watson is convinced that the star fast bowler of the Men In Blue has made himself undroppable at the ICC World Cup. An ankle injury to vice-captain Pandya paved the way for Shami and Suryakumar Yadav to break into the Indian XI in the 2023 edition of the ICC World Cup.
An injured Pandya and all-rounder Shardul Thakur made way for Shami and Suryakumar in India’s crucial match against New Zealand. The duo retained their places for the high-voltage clash with England. While middle-order batter Suryakumar smashed 49 off 47 balls, pacer Shami demolished the England lineup with a record-equalling four-wicket haul at Lucknow. Before running riot against the defending champions, pace ace Shami had picked up a match-winning fifer against New Zealand.
‘Shami has taken over Siraj’s spot’
Speaking to Star Sports about Shami’s sensational comeback into the Indian XI, former Aussie all-rounder Watson opined that the speedster has even claimed the spot of his teammate Mohammed Siraj in the current line-up. “It’s a great problem for India to have. That’s a sign of a team that’s in incredible form where all the players are putting their hands up and playing at their best. In my mind, Shami has taken over Siraj’s spot because of the way he’s bowled in the last two games. He’s been incredible,” Watson explained.
A quick glance at Shami’s brilliant World Cup record
Senior pacer Shami has the lowest bowling average (minimum 20 wickets) at the 50-over edition of the ICC World Cup. The fast bowler is ahead of the likes of Geoff Allott, Michael Holding, Shane Bond and Shaheen Afridi on the exclusive list. The 32-year-old is India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the 50-over format of the World Cup. Shami has taken 40 wickets in 13 innings for the two-time world champions. Only former India pacers Zaheer Khan (44) and JavagaL Srinath (44) have taken more wickets than Shami at the World Cup.
‘When Shami is at his best…’
“When Shami is at his best, as we saw against England, he’s just so difficult to play. He can beat any batter on the outside or the inside. And because his length is so accurate, it’s always hitting the stumps. He’s always in there asking questions. It was unfortunate that Hardik went down injured. But that meant that Shami got an opportunity, and for me, he’s surpassed Siraj because of the way he’s been bowling,” Watson added.