Sanjay Manjrekar wants this star bowler to play only Test cricket for India: 'That would be good planning'

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Sanjay Manjrekar has opined that senior India pacer Mohammed Shami should slowly be made exclusive for Test cricket only. The cricketer-turned-commentator has reckoned that Shami has the highest value in Test cricket and keeping him fit and fresh for Test cricket would be the best option.

Shami, who will turn 33-years-old in September, has been rested for India's all-format tour of the West Indies. The pacer has been playing non-stop cricket since the start of the year. He played 17 matches in the IPL - the maximum a player can play - and then featured in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June.

"Mohammad Shami is an option. I feel he will definitely play in this World Cup but slowly-slowly I think Indian cricket should give him the role of a Test bowler because the value he has in Test cricket, you won't get it in any other format," Manjrekar said during an interaction with News24 Sports.

"The sort of career Mohammad Shami is having and the sort of fitness he has, if you keep him fit and fresh for Test cricket, I feel that would be good planning," he added.

Shami has played a total of 90 ODI matches till date and picked 162 wickets at an average of 25.98 and an economy rate of 5.60. He has picked 24 wickets in 23 T20I matches for India.

In the absence of injured Jasprit Bumrah, the pacer is spearheading India's pace attack for a while. His role will also be crucial in the upcoming World Cup 2023 in India.

Mukesh, Madhwal should be tried as death over specialists: Manjrekar

Further, the former Mumbai batter stated that India will have to zero down on death bowling specialists ahead of the World Cup 2023. He has backed Mukesh Kumar and Mumbai Indians (MI) sensation Akash Madhwal for the role.

"Mohammed Siraj will definitely be in the team. He is very good at the moment but India will have to search for death-bowling specialists. Probably Mukesh Kumar or Akash Madhwal, who bowl extremely well at the death, you will have to probably try such a reliable talent before the 50-overs World Cup. So that is a different option," he said.

India are scheduled to kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.