Mohammad Shami had been out of cricket for more than 18 months before returning in CT 2025.
Mohammad Shami was a huge name missing from the Indian squad that was announced on Saturday by the BCCI for the five-Test England tour. Shardul Thakur and Karun Nair were two recalls for the team, while Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh were two newcomers.
After a protracted injury layoff, Shami returned to competition in November of last year and has been gradually increasing his workload. Since then, he has played white-ball cricket for India, including during their 2025 Champions Trophy winning run.
The current rejection, though, stems from the team management's belief that he hasn't yet demonstrated that his body can handle the demands of Test cricket.
And if a former India selector is to be believed, Shami's red-ball career is probably done. After all, why would the team consider the 34-year-old for home Test matches later this year if he isn't available for the Australia or England tour, where fast bowlers dominate?
“If Mohammad Shami isn’t available in Australia or England, why would the selectors pick him against West Indies and South Africa at home. They might as well use Akash Deep, Arshdeep, Harshit, or Mukesh as Siraj or Bumrah’s partner. Shami’s body is ageing, and one has to accept that he is no longer the bowler he used to be," the ex-India selector was quoted by PTI.
Since his 2013 Test debut, Shami has amassed 229 wickets in 64 Test matches.
A representative of the BCCI's Sports Science and Medical team evaluated Shami in Lucknow earlier this week and came to the conclusion that the fast bowler's body is not yet prepared to handle the demands of bowling 15 to 20 overs a day, according to PTI.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said Shami has been training to get fit for the England you,r but his workload isn’t where it should be as of now.
“He has been trying to get fit for the series, but he has had a little bit of a setback for the last week or so, and he has had some MRIs done. I’d like to mention, I don’t think he was going to be available for all five Tests. I don’t think his workload is where it needs to be," Agarkar told reporters in Mumbai on Saturday.