NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami's continued absence from the national team has irked former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has held nothing back in criticising the team management for consistently overlooking the senior pacer.
Shami has already made a strong case for a national call-up with his impressive domestic performances. He has so far taken nine wickets in five Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches, including match-winning figures of 4 for 13 against Services on Thursday.
Harbhajan stressed that India are weakening theur bowling attack by sidelining Shami and relying too heavily on Jasprit Bumrah.
"Where is Shami? I don't know why Shami is not playing. I get it, you have Prasidh, he is a good bowler, but he still has a lot to learn. You had good bowlers, and you have slowly sidelined them. With Bumrah, this is a different bowling attack, and without Bumrah, it is an entirely different attack altogether. We have to learn the art of winning games without Jasprit Bumrah," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Bhajji flags a major warning for India
Harbhajan believes India are severely lacking proven match-winners in their white-ball bowling unit, calling it a major cause for concern.
"In England, without Bumrah, Siraj was unbelievable, fantastic. India won all the Tests where Bumrah did not feature. But, in shorter formats, we need to find people who can win you games, whether it be fast bowling or spin. Find spinners who can come in and take wickets. There is Kuldeep, but what about the rest?" he added.
"Bring in Varun Chakaravarthy in ODIs as well, you already have him in T20Is, so try him in ODIs also," he said.
Ganguly demands strong pace attack
Earlier, former captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has also backed the inclusion of Shami, who last featured for India during the victorious Champions Trophy-winning campaign.
"He must have faith in Bumrah, Siraj and Shami," Ganguly said. "I think Shami deserves a place in this Test team. Shami and the spinners will win Tests for him [Gautam Gambhir]."
