MUMBAI: Right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami will not be considered for the remaining fourth and fifth Tests of the away series against Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday.
The announcement came just days after India’s longer format captain Rohit Sharma inquired about the pacer’s fitness and availability for the remainder of the Australian series.
“Shami bowled 43 overs in the Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November,” the BCCI said in a statement. “After that, he played all nine games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he also took part in additional bowling sessions behind the scenes to increase his bowling volume and prepare for the Test matches.
“However, his left knee developed minor swelling due to the increased load on the joints due to the bowling workload. The swelling is within expected limits due to increased bowling after a prolonged period.
“Based on current medical assessment, the BCCI medical team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration in the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
It is pertinent to mention that Shami has not represented India since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final in November last year.
The right-arm pacer underwent surgery for a heel injury in February. According to the BCCI, Shami had “completely recovered” from his heel injury and would “continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical team at the BCCI Center of Excellence and build his bowling loads required to meet the demands of the game’s longer format.”
Furthermore, the 34-year-old was not called up in the Bengal squad for the first game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Delhi on December 21.
