Mohammad Shami has played 4 SMAT matches for Bengal, taking 4 wickets.
Mohammad Shami, India pacer, is being closely monitored by the NCA medical team and the BCCI selectors as his team Bengal plays its Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT 2024) matches in Rajkot.
This is to ensure that Shami reaches the required fitness goals before a decision is made on him traveling to Australia to join the Indian team for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024) Test series.
As per a Cricbuzz report, a BCCI Sports Science team, together with a national selector, is currently camping in Rajkot to closely monitor the India bowler, who is returning from a year-long injury-induced sabbatical.
Nitin Patel, head of the BCCI's Sports Science wing at the new Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, together with trainer Nishant Bardule and selector SS Das, have been stationed in the Saurashtra city to keep an eye on Shami.
The brief to the NCA team is to assess whether Shami can handle the physical demands of a high-intensity Test match, should he be called up to join the team.
The NCA trainer had been working with the 34-year-old pacer until Saturday and is thought to have left Rajkot, leaving behind workouts for Shami to complete. However, Patel and the selector remain in Rajkot.
According to the information, the BCCI would not select the bowler till the Sports Science Department has given its clearance. Chief selector Agarkar and the Indian team's brain tank, which is now in Australia, are receiving regular updates on the veteran pacer's progress.
The main focus is to observe whether Shami can endure the workload of a Test match rather than to exactly assess his pace, form, and rhythm. T20 games are regarded as rigorous and demanding enough to put a player's fitness and workload management skills to the test. Shami is also being asked to bowl a set number of deliveries per day, with his pre-match and post-match conditions closely monitored.
Shami has played four matches so far in the SMAT, with returns of 1/ 46 against Punjab, 3/21 against Hyderabad, 0/46 against Mizoram, and 0/38 against Madhya Pradesh.
He had also featured in a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal, his first proper cricketing outing since the 2023 World Cup final in November. He picked 7 wickets in Bengal’s win.
The report further stated that the team management and the national selectors seem to want Shami to play a few more matches before considering him for a recall.
Bengal has three more league games scheduled in Rajkot - against Meghalaya on December 1, Bihar on December 3, and Rajasthan on December 5 - before the tournament moves to Bengaluru for the knockout rounds, which start on December 9.
India won the Perth Test by 295 runs and will face Australia in the secondTest in Adelaide, a day-night affair from December 6 onwards. The third Test will be played in Brisbane from December 14 onwards. The last two Tests will be the Boxing Day Test on December 26 in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney on January 3.
(Cricbuzz inputs)