"If you want to dent the opposition team's chances early" - Salman Butt urges India to pick Mohammed Shami for T20 World Cup 2022

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt wants India to back Mohammed Shami ahead of Harshal Patel at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he suggested that while Harshal has got a lot of variations up his sleeve, Shami is a force to reckon with when it comes to the new ball. He highlighted that the veteran pacer's ability to pick up early wickets would give the Men in Blue an edge over their opponents.

He explained:

"Harshal Patel relies a lot on change of pace and that is his strength. He is quite deceptive and is also capable of bowling the yorker. But if you want to dent the opposition team's chances early, a fully fit Mohammed Shami could prove to be very valuable."

Shami is the frontrunner to replace the injured Jasprit Bumrah in India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2022. The 32-year-old has already reached Australia and is expected to start training soon.

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"He should be a part of India's main squad" - Salman Butt on Mohammed Shami

Shami was initially named as one of the standbys by the national selectors for the showpiece event. However, he could now find a place in the 15-member squad with India suffering multiple injury jolts.

Butt also suggested that Shami must be included in the main squad, given his experience of playing in Australian conditions. He said:

"Mohammed Shami played at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and has also toured the country several times for a bilateral series. He has a lot of experience when it comes to Australian pitches and conditions. He has proved to be quite successful there. I believe that he should be a part of India's main squad."

Notably, Shami hasn't played a single T20I since last year's T20 World Cup. He looked in stunning form during this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), finishing as the highest wicket-taker for title-winners Gujarat Titans (GT) by bagging 20 scalps from 16 outings.