Mohammed Shami deserved a better Test farewell, say former players
Former cricketers Ravi Shastri, Paras Mhambrey and Atul Wassan expressed disappointment over the manner of Mohammed Shami's retirement.
Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday, ending a 13-year career that began on November 6, 2013. The 35-year-old pacer played 64 Tests and claimed 229 wickets, according to reports from The Times of India and Rediff.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri said Shami should have played in the last 12 months and should have played Tests in Wellington. Shastri questioned the repeated doubts regarding Shami's fitness, noting that the bowler was bowling 15 to 20 overs daily for Bengal in domestic cricket.
Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said he would have loved to see Shami represent India again in Test cricket and other formats. Mhambrey noted that Shami's seam presentation was unique, stating that very few bowlers had that kind of upright seam.
Former cricketer Atul Wassan expressed disappointment that Shami's performances in the Ranji Trophy did not earn him a comeback. Wassan suggested there is a bias against age in Indian cricket and said Shami could have served for another couple of seasons.
Shami's final Test match was the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023. In his farewell message, Shami said that the cap and the ball made him Mohammed Shami and that he stood up again for the badge despite injuries.