'It's not very easy to drop someone like Shami' - Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey opens up on controversial decision

In the ongoing Asia Cup edition, India stands out as the sole undefeated team. They have notched victories against Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the six-team competition, securing their place in the final. Notably, the Indian team management has chosen to bench their ace speedster, Mohammed Shami. Moreover, they have opted to go with just two primary seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

In their most recent match against Sri Lanka, the 'Men in Blue' included Axar Patel in place of Shardul Thakur. India's bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, expressed satisfaction with Bumrah's recovery from injury. He also acknowledged that the decision to exclude the experienced Shami from the playing XI was a difficult one.

“We have been following Bumrah's progress from the NCA, and we are very happy with the report that we have got. Now, we have four quality bowlers, and it is always great to have those options. The problem of plenty is always good. It's not very easy to drop someone like Shami. The experience that he has and the performance that he has done for the country is phenomenal. It's never easy to have that kind of a conversation (dropping a player),” Mhambrey told India Today.

Players have shown confidence in us: Mhambrey

Despite the tough decision to exclude Mohammed Shami from the playing XI, the 51-year-old emphasized that Shami has been informed of the rationale, and he understands it's in the team's best interest. Shami, with 91 ODIs for India, holds 163 wickets at an average of 26.01 and a strike rate of 27.90. He played against Nepal when Bumrah was unavailable due to family reasons and took one wicket while conceding 29 runs in seven overs.

“But we are clear in the way we have gone about the conversation with the players and they have shown confidence in us. Players know any decision that we take and they know that it is for the benefit of the team,” Mhambrey said.