Shami Set to Miss England Tests? Long-Spell Bowling Ability in Question

Mohammed Shami is likely to be overlooked for India’s five-match test series against England next month. The BCCI remains unsure about Shami’s ability to bowl long spells.

Indian right-arm fast-bowler Mohammed Shami might receive upsetting news ahead of India’s tour of England in June. As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is set to pass over the 34-year-old veteran for the 5-match test series.

Shami’s Potential Snub from England Tour

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is set to announce the squad for the England tour on Saturday. Apart from the squad, they will also announce the new test captain, with Shubman Gill being the prime candidate.

As per the Indian Express, the board will likely ignore Shami for the series against England. The BCCI’s medical team has reportedly informed the board that the pacer will not be able to bowl longer spells.

“Shami is bowling four overs in IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad but the board and selectors don’t know whether he can bowl more than 10 overs in a day. Test matches in England may demand longer spells from the pacers and we can’t take chances,” a source in the board informed.

Who Will Take Shami’s Place?

The Indian Test Cricket team will need pacers to bowl long spells in England. However, one of their star pacers, Mohammed Shami, will most likely be overlooked for the series.

Shami last played a test match in June in the World Test Championship final against Australia. He played a key role in the 2023 World Cup, but had to stay away due to an ankle injury. He made his return before the Australia tour in 2024 but wasn’t selected in the squad.

Shami’s absence could give a chance to Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj. Arshdeep is yet to make his debut in the red-ball format. The left-arm pacer is India’s lead pacer in T20I cricket and has also played 9 ODIs. Anshul, on the other hand, is a part of India A for the unofficial test series against England Lions.

Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, and Instagram