Mohammed Shami unlikely to be picked for England tour© BCCI/Sportzpics
Mohammed Shami’s struggles seem to be heading towards an extended run of disappointment, with a report suggesting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to snub the veteran pacer for the 5-match Test tour of England. Shami wasn’t a part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia due to injury issues, and his apparent ‘inability to bowl longer spells’ is now set to cost him a place in the Test side for the England tour despite the rich experience he brings to the table.
Shami has been playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2025 season, though his poor form has seen the franchise preferring other options in recent matches. As per a report in the Indian Express, the BCCI medical team has informed the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee that the pacer isn’t ready to bowl full throttle in a Test match. Hence, the chances of him getting picked for the tour are bleak.
“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,” the paper quoted a source as saying.
With Shami being deemed unfit for selection, the report claims that left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is likely to earn his maiden Test call-up for the series. Haryana right-arm seamer Anshul Kamboj, who has 74 wickets from 22 first-class games, is also one of the candidates to replace Shami in the team. In fact, Kamboj has already been picked for the India A tour of England.
The report further claims that the BCCI selection committee is expected to meet in a few days and announce the squad for the England tour. Shubman Gill remains the No. 1 candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s full-time Test skipper, though there are a few who continue to favour Jasprit Bumrah for the role.
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