'India need him more in the longer format' - Sanjay Bangar does not want Mohammed Shami to be risked for T20Is

Star Indian pacer, Mohammed Shami, has gradually made his return to competitive cricket after being ruled out for almost an entire year due to an ankle injury. So far, he has represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, there has been no indication of when he would make his return to the Indian setup. 

During a recent discussion, former Indian interim head coach, Sanjay Bangar, justified why Shami was easing himself into cricket instead of pushing himself to the limit for a return to the Indian side.

"I think the reason he played the Syed Mushtaq Ali and, for that matter, he is also probably playing the Vijay Hazare, was to prove his fitness. If you are thinking ahead whether he is going to be a part of the World Cup squad and you have a chance to really look that much ahead, you have that luxury. I don't really think that he personally would want to be a part of that World Cup squad," shared Bangar during a discussion on Star Sports.

Bangar explained that the red-ball format should be Shami's priority due to him being highly proficient in the same. He also felt that Shami would have made an impact had he been available for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"The Test format is still his best format and that is where India need him the most. Think of a Mohammed Shami bowling with a Siraj and a Jasprit Bumrah against the Australian batting lineup, I think the series result would have been different. India need him more in the longer format and hence, I would not want to risk him in this format," noted Bangar.

Also Read: 'He’s sitting at NCA for I don't know how long' - Ravi Shastri slams BCCI over Mohammed Shami's injury management

I would rather groom somebody like a Prasidh Krishna: Bangar

Bangar pointed out that he would rather prefer Prasidh Krishna to be a part of the upcoming T20I series against England. 

"I would rather groom somebody like a Prasidh Krishna because you want to know a little bit more about him. He is somebody who picked up six wickets in the last Test match that he played," he reasoned.

Bangar provided an insight into how England select bowlers in the shortest format of the game, and highlighted that Prasidh could be utilised similarly. 

"He also came to the limelight because of his performances in the T20 format. He has the ability to bowl the short ball and you want to exploit that. Look what England do, they want faster bowlers to bowl in the middle overs because they want batters who are coming on the frontfoot to be dismissed off the short ball," Bangar elaborated.

India are set to play five T20Is and three ODIs against England across this month and February. The respective sides for the two formats are scheduled to be out soon.