India skipper Rohit Sharma has backed fast bowler Mohammed Shami to return to form sooner rather than later, shutting down questioning of the pacer's form ahead of the England ODI series.
At the pre-match press conference ahead of an important period for India, with a three-match ODI series against England starting this week and the Champions Trophy following immediately afterwards, Rohit fielded questions on team combinations, selection decisions, and his future in the India set-up.
The first ODI against England kicks off tomorrow in Nagpur, and in response to a question about Mohammed Shami's recent form, India's captain launched a defense of the experienced campaigner.
Rohit Sharma: Shami has won matches single-handedly
Shami has recently returned to action after over a year out with injury, taking part in the domestic season in all three formats for Bengal, before making a comeback to international cricket in the T20I series against England – playing the third and fifth matches.
Aged 34, and returning from the long layoff, Shami did not quite look at full tilt in either match, lacking the razor-sharp cutting edge that has defined his international career. He did return solid figures of 0-25 (3 overs) and 3-25 (2.3), two of his wickets being England's No.10 and No.11.
Read more: How has Mohammed Shami fared for Bengal since his return from injury?
In response to a question about the fast bowler's form, Rohit said: "Look, he hasn't played cricket for one, one-and-a-half years. Don't start judging a player so quickly. For the last 10-12 years, he has been playing cricket, putting in performances for the team.
"Take the (2023) World Cup, look at the way he was bowling. In domestic cricket, a few matches didn't go the way he wanted, it doesn't mean that a bowler is bad. He has bowled so much, taken so many wickets, won so many matches, so all this...think a little bit.
"Thinking is not just for us, it is just as important for you as well. Because we [you] only look at what has happened recently. But not at what he has done over a long period of time. Our memory is a little bit short-term. We don't think much about what has been done in the previous years, what has been done in the last 6-8 months. We only see what happened just now, what happened in the last series.
Also read: Latest ICC T20I rankings: India batter jumps 38 places to No.2
"Everyone knows how the way he bowled in the World Cup, he won matches single-handedly, took five wickets [per match]. These kinds of guys, if one or two matches or one or two series are bad, it doesn't mean the player has become bad."
Appearing in a prickly mood throughout the press conference, Rohit also reacted with mild disdain to a question about his own future, saying: "How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans sitting here where we have three ODIs and a Champions Trophy coming?" He added that he was "not here to clarify any reports".
Watch Rohit Sharma's pre-match press conference here
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