Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has raised concerns over the management of pacer Mohammed Shami, suggesting that India's chances of victory against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy could have been consolidated had Shami been present in the series. Shami, who had been on the sidelines with an ankle injury following the 2023 ODI World Cup, recently made his return to competitive cricket and made an instant impact. During his absence, he also underwent surgery. Shastri hit out at the management for the lack of communication when it comes to Shami's recovery. 

Ahead of the Boxing Day Test (4th Test), BCCI had issued an update on Shami, ruling him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. That time the series was locked 1-1. India, meanwhile, lost the series 1-3 as they went on to lose the remaining two games. 

Along with Shastri, former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting also expressed disappointment over India's decision to not fly Shami to Australia. Both believed that Shami’s potential impact in the BGT would have been invaluable. 

“Absolutely, there's no question about that. To be honest, I was very surprised with the communication going on in the media as to what exactly happened to Mohammed Shami. Where is he when it comes to recovery? He's been sitting in the NCA for I don't know how long. Why can't proper communication come out on where he stands? A player of his ability, I would have brought him to Australia," Ravi Shastri said on the ICC Review.

“I would have kept him part of the team and made sure that his rehabilitation was done with the team. And then if we thought by the third Test match that no, this guy can't play the rest of the series, I would let him go. But I would have brought him with the team, kept him, monitored him with the best of the physios and best of the advice even from international physios who are in Australia and seeing how he went. But I would have kept him in the mix," he said.

Ponting, who also expressed surprise over India's decision to not fly Shami to Australia, felt that Shami could have played a very decisive role for India in the latter half of the series. 

"I was really surprised when he wasn't flown out even halfway through the series, two Test matches in. India's make-up obviously had Nitish Reddy there. So you had another seam bowling all-rounder anyway," Ponting said on the ICC Review.

“So if Shami, even if he wasn't fully fit, if he had to bowl fewer overs in a day, you had a backup seam bowling option to help him out and I think he could have been the difference. If Shami, Bumrah and Siraj were in their starting team, I think things could have been completely different here in Australia," Ponting said.