IND vs ENG 2025: Irfan Pathan responds to Mohammed Shami's absence in first T20I

Ahead of India's ongoing white-ball series against England, there were a lot of expectations that Mohammed Shami would make his international comeback in the first T20I of the series. However, Indian T20I skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, confirmed at the toss about Shami not being listed in the XI. This anti-climatic event has turned out to be a huge talking point, with a lot of speculations regarding Shami's fitness doing the rounds since yesterday.

Former cricketer-turned-commentator, Irfan Pathan, believed that only Shami would be the ideal person to consult as to when he would be ready to return to playing for the national setup. 

“When you’ve been such a seasoned campaigner and are among India’s top 10 bowlers, you understand your body’s limits well. Shami always provides honest feedback to the team management, and decisions are made through mutual communication. Recovery at the highest level takes time, especially after playing consistently. I believe he and the team management will make the right call at the right time," stated Pathan, as quoted by News18. 

Pathan also underscored the importance of a backup pacer for the Champions Trophy, and observed that including Mohammed Siraj in the squad would have been a good alternative. 

“You need a backup pacer. Siraj could have been a good option. In Dubai, playing four spinners isn’t viable. With Bumrah and Shami returning from injuries, it won’t be easy for them straightaway. A pacer like Siraj would have filled that gap. That said, we hope the selectors’ choices perform well, and we should back them," observed Pathan.

Also Read: 'Just cut the thing and play Shami' - Aakash Chopra wants pacer to be included in XI if he is fit

Ultimately, Indian cricket gains from this: Pathan

Moreover, Pathan further underscored that the superstars of Indian cricket should be more consistent in featuring in the domestic circuit to benefit both those players as well as the youngsters.

"It’s about playing domestic cricket, but do not play a couple of matches just for the sake of it and show that you’ve played. Playing regularly benefits both players and Indian cricket. For young players, competing against the likes of Kohli or Rohit at the domestic level can be a tremendous confidence boost as they would also raise their levels to bowl to them. Ultimately, Indian cricket gains from this," he added.

India are currently in the midst of a five-match T20I series against England, post which a total of three ODIs will be played. They will then head over to the Middle East for participating in the Champions Trophy.