Fast bowler Mohammed Shami could still play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 despite missing the initial squad selection for the series. It is believed that the medical team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working hard to get Shami fit.
Shami recently returned to professional cricket after nearly a year with a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal. He looked in good rhythm and was in good shape. He also bowled long spells without much discomfort.
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BCCI working hard to get Mohammed Shami fit for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
According to TOI, the BCCI medical team is traveling constantly alongside him for every match and is monitoring him after every bowling spell. However, the main concern for the team is shedding his weight.
After the initial phase of Ranji Trophy, Mohammed Shami will play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and he has been included in Bengal’s squad for the domestic T20 tournament. The medical team will take a final call on Shami’s fitness after seeing him bowl for at least a week in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Some update on Shami’s progress:@BCCI medical team is travelling with him for matches.
Monitoring him after every spell
Shedding weight is the huddle
Selectors, medical team has one week of SMAT timeline to judge his fitness before taking call on Oz tour— Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) November 21, 2024
While Shami will not play the first Test, he could be in contention from the second Test match in Adelaide. There is a big gap between the first and second Test which could pave the way for him to be back in the squad.
Mohammed Shami last played a professional match before this season’s Ranji Trophy in the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia. Since then, he has missed every series due to injury. Shami suffered an injury during the World Cup but continued to play the tournament.
Mohammed Shami’s surgery
He underwent an Achilles heel surgery earlier this year after which he missed big tournaments like the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup 2024. The 34-year-old was expected to be back for the home Test season but could not be fit in time.
Shami was again expected to be fit for the New Zealand Test series but was ruled out due to swelling in his knee. He was subsequently ruled out of the five-match Test series in Australia as India opted for an inexperienced pace attack led by the spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Mohammed Shami’s numbers in Australia
Shami’s expereince would have been handy in Australian pitches due to his previous experience of playing in the country. The right-arm quick has played 8 Tests in Australia and picked up 31 wickets at an average of 32.16 with 2 five-wicket hauls.
In Shami’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the only Indian fast bowlers who have played international cricket in Australia. The other fast bowlers in the squad are Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep. Nitish Kumar Reddy is the fast bowling allrounder.
