Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has not yet returned to international cricket after his impressive performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The 33-year-old suffered an ankle injury and had to go through a period of recovery.
A report from The Indian Express suggests that Shami’s participation in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh in India is uncertain as he continues to regain full fitness.
The report states that Shami is aiming to return to domestic cricket with Bengal’s first match in the Ranji Trophy on October 11. This indicates that he might also make his international comeback during the second or third Test against New Zealand.
It is recommended that Shami join the India A team for their tour of Australia starting on October 31. During this tour, the team will play two four-day matches in Mackay and Melbourne.
Although Shami has resumed bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), the BCCI has decided not to include him in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.
According to unnamed sources in the report, they plan to follow a strategy similar to the one used for Jasprit Bumrah’s return to international cricket during the T20I series against Ireland.
The sources explained, “Since he hasn’t played for some time, he needs to be reintroduced to the system gradually. With Bumrah, we used the T20 matches in Ireland to slowly increase his workload. However, with Shami, we’re considering Test cricket, where he needs to bowl for longer periods. This will be a gradual process, and the tour of Australia is our main objective.”
Shami’s comeback is important for India’s team in the Border-Gavaskar trophy because they will depend on his skills to help them win and keep their title.
India will play two Test matches against Bangladesh starting on September 19. After that, they will face New Zealand in three more games. Then, in mid-November, the Indian team will travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar trophy