He Is The Best Version Of Himself Right Now: Ricky Ponting Praises Mohammed Shami

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting hailed the resilience of Mohammed Shami, describing his "fantastic" five-wicket haul in India's Champions Trophy opener as evidence of the fast bowler now being the "best version" of himself following a long injury layoff. Shami marked his return to ICC tournaments with a brilliant 5 for 53, helping India bowl out Bangladesh for 228 on Thursday. He also became the fastest Indian and the second quickest overall to reach 200 ODI wickets during India's six-wicket victory.

"For him to comeback, get five wickets in first game of the Champions Trophy is fantastic. They are exactly the sort of people you want in your side, the guys who would do anything for you," Ponting told the ICC.

"Especially as a captain, you look someone in the eye and ask them to do a job for you, if they are going to do it or they are not and Shami always seems that sort of guy to me that."

Shami had been sidelined from international cricket for 14 months due to an ankle injury sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia, which interrupted a remarkable run where he topped the tournament's wicket-taker's chart with 24 scalps.

The injury required surgery, and his recovery was further delayed by swelling on his left knee, keeping him out of international action for more than a year.

"It hasn't been easy for him, yes he had a good international career but if you look back, it was a sort of stop start at the start of his career," Ponting said.

"He has got better and better year on year and he is probably, the best version of himself right now on the back of a bit of adversity, so they are the sort of people you want around, especially in big tournaments.

"They are the characters, the players and the