Mohammed Shami debunks BCCI's claims for missing Australia series, says he is fit

The Indian pacer Mohammed Shami downplayed all fitness claims and said he was totally fit to play anywhere. Recently, Shami has been excluded from the white-ball series against Australia, which has been looked at as the potential conclusion of his career.

 

Shami, however, has been repeatedly saying that he has no issue with his fitness. However, everything depends on the selectors and team to choose if they really want to play him or not.

 

Recently, on his YouTube channel, Shami echoed the same and added that he played almost 35 overs in the Duleep Trophy and he did not face any niggle. Shami said,

 

"People want to know my opinion on the non-selection for the Australia series. I will just say that getting selected is not in my hands; it's the job of the selection committee, coach, and captain. If they feel I should be there, they will select me, or if they feel some more time is needed, it's in their hands. I am ready and practicing."

 

He added,

 

"My fitness is also good. I will try to do better because when you are away from the ground, you need to remain motivated. I played in the Duleep Trophy. I felt very comfortable, my rhythm was good, and I bowled around 35 overs. There are no issues with my fitness.”

 

Notably, the pacer has been dealing with multiple injuries since the 2023 ODI World Cup, one of his best outings. However, since then he has been with the domestic team Bengal. He was later called for the home ODI series against England in 2024. However, he could not make much of it. Since then, he has been out of international cricket.

 

Read also: End of Md Shami era? Reports reveal likewise

 

Mohammed Shami's neutral stand on Shubman Gill's ODI captaincy

 

On the other hand, Shubman Gill received mixed reactions after BCCI announced him as the ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. Memes are flooding social media, which Shami thinks is a normal outcome, even though he feels that its in the selectors' and BCCI's hands. Shami stated,

 

"Bahut hi zyada memes ban rahe hai is sawal ko leke (There have been a lot of memes on this question). I feel there should not be any objection. This is the decision of the BCCI, selectors, and coaches. Shubman captained India in England, and he is the skipper of the Gujarat Titans as well. So, he has the experience. Someone had to be given this responsibility, and the BCCI chose Shubman Gill for that, so we should accept it."