Indian pacer Mohammed Shami's future in the Test format is up in the air, as reports of selectors and the team management being doubtful of the veteran pacer's fitness ahead of India's tour of England.
Shami has faced issues related to fitness for some time now, which also ruled him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia last year. If the speculations turn out to be true, the 34-year-old could get the axe in the longest format of the game with the recent rise of Prasidh Krishna.
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With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin stepping down from the red-ball format, there are only a handful of experienced players left in the squad, namely Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shami himself.
A bunch of young guns will be heading towards England to play the much-anticipated Test series starting on June 20. This Test series on English soil will kickstart a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with the final scheduled to be played in 2027.
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IND vs ENG Tests: What did Mohammad Shami say?
Mohammed Shami recently appeared in an exclusive interview with the Times of India, where he revealed his ideas of playing in the upcoming Test against the Three Lions.
The pacer was asked about his physical fitness ahead of the all-important series. To this, Shami replied, "I'm trying my best, doing hard work, performing strength exercises, attending practice sessions regularly, delivering maximum numbers of balls in the in the nets and managing my workload as much as possible."
He further mentioned that the workload in the red-ball format is more demanding, and the series is just after the IPL finishes, so it's hectic for every player involved.
"For red-ball cricket, the workload needs to be increased. The series is right after the IPL. There's also an India ‘A'. So, it is hectic for everybody."
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When asked about whether India will miss out on major experience in the series due to the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Shami said, "The distinction between youngsters and senior players doesn't really exist in today’s cricket! All are mature enough for international cricket these days due to huge exposure in the IPL".
He further stressed that him along with Jasprit Bumrah should be present on the tour to provide the much-needed experience against the Three Lions.
"The important thing to see is how the team is formed and what combinations are made. So in that sense, it's important for me and Bumrah to be present on the England."
Shami has had a rough IPL tourney so far, as the fast bowler hasn't been the same since his return from the injury. He has gone for 337 runs in just 9 matches, picking up just 6 wickets in the process.
It will be interesting to see if Shami gets the nod to board the plane for England next month, or we might see another star player announcing his retirement soon.