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Shami’s Unlikely To Feature In India’s Squad For England Tour; Medical Report Likely To Determine Selection

New Delhi [India] – India’s veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami is unlikely to be selected for the upcoming five-Test series in England starting June 20 at Headingley, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.

While Shami is back in action for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025, concerns remain about whether he has accumulated enough bowling workload to meet the physical demands of red-ball cricket. His last Test appearance came during the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023.

As per the report, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical staff member was dispatched to Lucknow this week to evaluate Shami’s fitness ahead of Hyderabad’s match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.

Although the BCCI selectors haven’t made an official decision yet, it is believed they may err on the side of caution unless they receive a green light from the medical team.

The 34-year-old pacer has faced a long spell away from international cricket due to injury. After undergoing ankle surgery in February 2024, Shami began experiencing discomfort in his right knee and has since been under treatment.

Despite these setbacks, Shami made a brief return to domestic cricket last year, representing Bengal in the Ranji Trophy where he picked up seven wickets in a match against Madhya Pradesh. Hopes of a return during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year were dashed when he didn’t make the squad.

Shami was expected to be India’s new-ball spearhead across formats in 2025. He played a key role in India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, finishing as the joint second-highest wicket-taker.

His Test career so far includes 64 matches and 229 wickets at an average of 27.1, including six five-wicket hauls. However, his IPL 2025 performance for Hyderabad has been less than stellar — taking six wickets at an average of 56.16 and an economy rate of 11.23 across 13 group-stage matches.

If Shami is ruled out of the England tour, India may consider other emerging pace options, such as:

  • Prasidh Krishna
  • Akash Deep
  • Arshdeep Singh
  • Mukesh Kumar
  • Yash Dayal
  • Anshul Kamboj
  • Khaleel Ahmed
  • Harshit Rana

These pacers offer fresh energy and have been monitored by the selectors over the past few domestic and IPL seasons.

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