File photo of Mohammed Shami© AFP
Seasoned seamer Mohammed Shami launched a scathing tirade after reports claimed that his involvement in India’s upcoming tour of England depends on his ability to bowl sustained spells, and some even indicated his imminent retirement. Shami hasn’t bowled for India in the whites since the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023. A long injury layoff kept Shami out of action after the ODI World Cup in the same year.
He even returned to the domestic circuit and featured in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal. With his experience, Shami enjoyed a fruitful outing and returned with seven scalps against Madhya Pradesh last year. Rumour mill suggested his return during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia; however, the series went by, and there were no signs of him.
The 34-year-old has bowled the new ball for India across formats in 2025, representing the nation in the title-winning Champions Trophy campaign and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Despite his growing number of appearances, reports have suggested that Shami’s involvement in England will hinge on his capacity to manage the format’s demands, which begins from June 20. Other reports hinted at the possibility of Shami taking the same route to Test retirement as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Shami broke the silence and responded strongly to the claim. He posted a screenshot of the article on Instagram with a seething message, “Very well done. Also, start counting the days left to say ‘adieu’ to your job, then see ours later. People like you have ruined our future. Try saying nice things sometimes, too. Today’s worst story, sorry.”
Shami has represented India in 64 Tests and scalped 229 wickets at an average of 27.1, boasting six five-wicket hauls. In the aftermath of Virat and Rohit’s retirement, India is short on experience. During India’s last tour of Australia, India’s premier frontline off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin decided to bring the curtains down on his international career.
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