Mohammed Shami debate: Did refusal to play in England hurt his comeback plans?

Mohammed Shami may have already bowled 93 overs in the ongoing Ranji Trophy but it is unlikely that one of India’s finest pacers will be seen donning the whites again and his chances of wearing the ODI blues also look bleak.

The 35-year-old last played for India in the Champions Trophy in March but since then, he hasn’t been picked in any format. He had endured a lengthy layoff from the game after the heel injury in 2023 which required surgery after the World Cup.

At this point, the direction in which Indian cricket is moving, it is unlikely that Shami will be adding more games to the 197 internationals that he has played across three formats.

He has fallen off the radar in both Test and T20I cricket where Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep have rapidly gone up the ladder.

The only format seemingly left for him is ODI. But given that the next one-day World Cup is in 2027, it wouldn’t be particularly prudent to travel with a 37-year-old with a history of career-threatening injuries, including a knee problem.

Shami has not exactly been pleased with the national selectors and has gone on record to say that they have not communicated with him. However, sources in the BCCI say that it may not be the correct picture.

“There have been multiple times that national selectors and support staff from the BCCI Centre of Excellence have called to check on Shami. The selection committee was desperate to get his services in England as Jasprit Bumrah could not have played more than three Tests,” a senior board official said.

“Who wouldn’t want a bowler of his calibre in English conditions?” he added, referring to the series that India ultimately drew 2-2 earlier this year.

It is learnt that one of the senior members of the selection panel sent multiple messages to Shami enquiring about his fitness status and requesting him to play at least one India A game against England Lions in either Canterbury or Northampton.

This was meant to check where he stands with regards to Test-match fitness for the five-match England series.

It is understood that the pacer responded by saying that he still needs to build his workload and shouldn’t be considered for the assignment.

“So the narrative that there was no communication with Shami isn’t an absolute truth. The sports science team also has his medical reports and whether his body will be able to take the rigours of international cricket,” the senior official further added.

At this juncture, Shami might feel that he is ready for 50-over cricket but whether he fits the role is something that only the national selectors can decide.

There are a lot of questions regarding Shami’s fitness for top-flight cricket.

For instance, how many overs can he bowl in one spell in a day? Can he take the field without breaks after each spell? What is the speed at which he is bowling considering that during his peak, he could clock north of 135 and at times even 140 clicks?

It has been seen that even for Bengal, Shami has not been bowling long spells which he could be required to do for India in trying conditions. He has mostly been bowling four-over spells and taking multiple breaks in a day’s play. His average speed also isn’t more than 130 kmph.

There are apprehensions that at his age and with his history of a knee issue, which required a surgery a decade back, he could break down in the middle of a Test match.

Shami did not play Bengal’s ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Railways in Surat having played the first three games.

He is expected to be available for the home match against Assam at Kalyani starting November 16 and then the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he will aim to impress prospective bidders for another lucrative deal at the IPL auctions in December.

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