Brisbane [Australia], December 18: India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, addressed star pacer Mohammed Shami’s prospects of joining the squad for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia. Speaking after the third Test ended in a draw on Wednesday, Rohit emphasized that no risks would be taken with Shami’s inclusion, stressing that the pacer would only be added to the squad once the team management is completely confident in his fitness.
Shami, 34, recently made his return to domestic cricket with Bengal after recovering from ankle surgery, which kept him out for almost a year. He has been named in Bengal’s squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy starting December 21. The pacer has made an impressive comeback, having featured in the ODI World Cup 2023 final before taking the field for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in November.
Rohit pointed out that Shami’s fitness was still a subject of concern. “I think it’s high time somebody from the NCA talks about him, where he is rehabbing. Those guys are the ones who need to come up and give us some kind of update,” Rohit said at the post-match press conference, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Rohit also mentioned that Shami had some knee concerns while playing domestic cricket, adding that the last thing they would want is for a player to join the squad and then have to withdraw mid-game due to injury.
“We’re not going to take any risks unless we are 200% sure,” the India captain said. “But as I said in the last press conference, the door is open if those guys at the NCA feel he is ready to recover and play. We’ll be happy to have him.”
Earlier this month, Shami achieved a rare milestone of 200 wickets across all formats, having reached the landmark in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda. These wickets were part of his 14-year-long career, during which he has played for various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as representing Bengal, India, and India ‘A’.