New Delhi, Dec 23 Veteran India fast-bowler Mohammed Shami has been deemed not fit for selection in the remaining two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to concerns over left knee swelling and the requirement of more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed on Monday.
After fully recovering from a heel injury and subsequent surgery that kept him out of action for nearly a year, Shami made a successful comeback to professional cricket through Bengal’s fifth-round match in the Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh at Indore, where he took seven wickets in his team’s win and bowled 43 overs. He also led the Bengal bowling attack in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy recently, picking up nine wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.85, with a best of 3-21 against Hyderabad, before they lost to Baroda in the quarterfinals in Bengaluru.
BCCI’s Sports Science head Nitin Patel, strength and conditioning coach Nishanta Bordoloi, along with selectors Ajay Ratra and SS Das, have been on the ground on various occasions to assess Shami’s fitness and let the Indian team management in Australia know about his progress.
With Shami coming back to competitive cricket, hopes had built of him joining the Indian team for the Test tour of Australia. But a fitness update on Shami from Devajit Saikia, the BCCI Joint Secretary, dashed all hopes of the pacer playing the last two Test matches in Australia.
Saikia said Shami, who also engaged in additional bowling sessions on the sidelines of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches to build his bowling volume in order to get ready for the Test matches, has exhibited minor swelling in his left knee due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload.
“The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period. Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” he said.
Saikia also said Shami will continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game. Shami had been rested from Bengal’s first Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage match in Hyderabad on December 21 and Saikia added his participation in the 50-over competition will depend on the progress of his left knee.
After the Brisbane Test ended, India captain Rohit Sharma called upon the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to provide an update on Shami’s progress when asked about it in the post-match press conference.
But with the BCCI making it clear that Shami won’t go to Australia, India’s fast-bowling options in Australia will continue to be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prasidh Krishna.
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