Shami's last T20I appearance was against Namibia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year.
While playing for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022, Shami claimed 20 wickets in 16 games. However, he failed to reclaim his place in the Indian T20I team.
However, with premier pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel out due to injuries, Shami is likely to make a T20I comeback in the home series against Australia and South Africa next month.
Shami might travel to Australia for the T20 World Cup as well if the duo of Bumrah and Harshal fail to recover on time.
"See, Shami isn’t getting any younger and that is why we have to manage his workload too. That is the reason he was informed about T20s (Not selecting). But if we have two premier pacers injured, we have to fall back on someone reliable in Australia. Shami understands the conditions better than anybody and could be a great asset. Final call on him will be taken only at a later stage," a member of the selection committee told InsideSport.
"It’s too early to panic. Bumrah and Harshal are both under the medical team’s observation. We have a great pace bowling line-up. As for Shami, there is no doubt that he could be useful in Australia, but we have to manage his workload too. If the team management believes he will be required, we will take a call on that later. For now, there is nothing to worry about," the selection committee member added.
Many cricket experts had expected Shami to be picked for the Asia Cup 2022 but the right-arm pacer was ignored for the six-team tournament that will be played in a T20I format in UAE from August 27 to September 11.