• Source:JND
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Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has thrown his weight behind the out-of-form pacer Mohammed Shami's selection for the upcoming red-ball tour of England amid talks of the star speedster being left out of the team.

Shami, who has been struggling with a declining form in the IPL 2025, hasn't played Test cricket for 23 months, with his last appearance coming in the World Test Championship 2023 against Australia.

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He returned to international cricket earlier this year in January after a 14-month injury layoff.

The speedster has looked out of tempo in the T20 carnival, raising doubts on his readiness to play Test cricket. Despite the star speedster's poor form, Sidhu emphasised Shami's prowess as a red-ball bowler.

“Let me tell you about Shami — a lot of people might be thinking, 'No, he’s expensive with the white ball,' but that's wrong. When the red ball comes into play, the seam protrudes — it's almost upright, and it stays that way. When the seam hits, Shami makes it nip off the surface by about six inches, and that movement causes more trouble than the one that swings in the air. That’s why, as a red-ball bowler, he is a match-winner — out and out,” Sidhu told Sports Today in an exclusive interview.

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On the other hand, Shami holds a solid record in England with 42 wickets in 14 Tests. During his absence in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah carried out the pace attack duty, taking 32 wickets in 10 matches, but was overburdened due to a lack of support.