Not India!! Ricky Ponting names the country where Mohammed Shami is rated Top

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting opened up about Mohammed Shami's exclusion from India's squad for the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Ricky Ponting said that Mohammed Shami's absence is a 'huge loss for India' in the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia.

The Test series between India and Australia is scheduled to commence in Perth on November 22. Shami wasn't included in India's 18-member squad for the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The fast bowler hasn't played for the Indian team since the ODI World Cup 2023 loss in Ahmedabad.

That's A Huge Loss For India - Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting feels that Mohammed Shami has been one of the leading fast bowlers in the world over the last few years. Ponting added that Shami has performed well with the red ball both at home and away conditions.

“The big omission is Shami not being fit. I think that’s a huge loss for India. He’s been one of the leading fast bowlers in the world for the last three or four years, and mainly with the red ball. His one-day record’s been very good, but what he’s been able to do home and away with the red ball in Test cricket has been quite phenomenal," Ponting said in a video shared by the ICC on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

He'd Be Perfectly Suited To Bowling In Those Conditions - Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting said that Mohammed Shami is perfectly suited to bowling in Perth and Adelaide, where the first two Tests will be played. The 49-year-old said that batters would find it difficult to face Shami, given his skills.

“You talk to all the players that face him as well; they talk about how hard he is and how difficult he is. And then when you think about where the first two Tests are with Perth and Adelaide, he’d be perfectly suited to bowling in those conditions. So, I think that’s the only real chink in the armor," Ponting added.

Jasprit Bumrah will lead India's pace attack in the absence of Shami. Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep are likely to start in the first Test matches. The selectors recalled Prasidh Krishna and included Harshit Rana, who is yet to make his international debut.

Mohammed Shami Made His Debut For Team India In Tests In 2013

Mohammed Shami made his debut for India in Tests in 2013, against the West Indies. The right-arm pacer has secured 229 wickets in 64 matches. He is only behind Kapil Dev (434), Zaheer Khan (311), Ishant Sharma (311), and Javagal Srinath (236) among pacers in the list of wicket-takers for India in Tests.

The Bengal pace bowler has taken 44 wickets in 12 Tests against Australia, including 31 in eight Tests played on Australian soil. He was part of India's victory during the BGT 2018-19 series and took 16 wickets in four matches. However, he missed the 2020-21 tour after an injury in the first Test match.

Also read: IPL Auction 2025: James Anderson's deal leaked by Michael Vaughan