Former India head coach Bharat Arun, recently in an interaction with RevSportz, spoke about Indian pacer Mohammed Shami’s absence from the tour of South Africa. During the interaction Arun was asked if the Indian team missed Mohammed Shami’s presence in South Africa.

Team India’s pace department was transformed when former Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri was the head coach of the team. Shastri joined the team management in the year 2014 as team manager and was later appointed as the head coach in the year 2017 after the resignation of Anil Kumble. Shastri, along with his deputies Sanjay Bangar (batting coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and R Sridhar (fielding coach), played an important role in making India a powerhouse.

During the conversation, Bharat Arun stated that the Indian team misses Mohammed Shami on the South Africa tour because of his quality. Arun further added that it is also an opportunity for other bowlers to come forward and make a presence in the team.

Bharat Arun opens Mohammed Shami’s absence in first Test against South Africa

Bharat Arun said, “Of course. A bowler of Shami’s quality; If he is not available, we will definitely miss him. But then, these are an integral part of the game of Test cricket. Bowlers are injured and sometimes unavailable. But it is an opportunity for another bowler to step up. “So I would see it as another opportunity for other players to step up and say yes, I have the ability to come back and do my job for the country.”

There was a period when the Indian team was known for its quality batsmen and spinners. However, as soon as Bharat Arun became India’s bowling coach, the pacers of the Indian team went through a tremendous transformation and are now known to be one of the best pace attacks in the world.

The pacers scripted India’s victory in the SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia). Especially Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur.

The Indian team also displayed lethal bowling during the ODI World Cup 2023 and totally decimated the opposing team. Mohammed Shami emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament and picked up 24 wickets in seven games at an average of 10.70.

Recently, Mohammed Shami’s Bengal teammate revealed that he was suffering from an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup 2023 and that he was given injections to treat it. Shami was rested from the white-ball series against South Africa and he was supposed to join the tram in the Tests.

However, Mohammed Shami was later deemed unfit for the series and was ruled out of the series. Shami was replaced by Prasidh Krishna but he could not cope with the mark and made many runs in the match.

Now, Avesh Khan has been added to the team after Prasidh Krishna’s failure and looks like he could get a nod in the second Test match of the series to be played from January 3 at the Sahara Park Newlands.