New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief provided a major update on the return of pace bowler Mohammed Shami to competitive cricket. Shami, who has been out of action since the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, returned to bowling in the nets last week in what was a big positive sign of his return to competitive cricket.
Shami was ruled out due to a right heel injury that required surgery. The 33-year-old pacer underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year and missed the home series against Australia, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, and the ICC T20 World Cup.
The fast bowler has been under the careful supervision of the Indian Cricket Board.
Following an intense rehabilitation period at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Shami is now preparing for his comeback. The paceman shared a video on Instagram of bowling in the training nets. He can be seen bowling with a low intensity following the surgery.
When will Shami make a comeback?
Agarkar, who was addressing a press conference along with newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of India’s tour of Sri Lanka touched upon a lot of topics surrounding the team selection and the players. He also addressed the question regarding Shami’s comeback.
Agarkar said that though the exact timeline of Shami’s return will depend on NCA’s feedback, the aim is to welcome him into the squad for the Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19.
“Some of the guys, some of the fast bowlers are at the NCA. We hope that for the next month or so, they’ll be back up playing,” he said.
“I think he has (Mohammed Shami) started to bowl which is a good sign for us. (The) 19th September is the first Test. That was always the goal,” he added.
“We don’t quite know whether that’s the timeline at the moment. That I have to speak to the guys at the NCA but that’s the aim.
“There are so many Tests coming in India; maybe you don’t play three seamers in the eleven. But, going forward, there’s a lot of cricket or Test cricket that’s coming. We need some conversation around it.”
Shami can only return to competitive cricket after getting a medical clearance from the NCA. The veteran fast bowler was the standout performer with the ball for the Men in Blue in the ODI World Cup at home with 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.70.
Following an intense rehabilitation period at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Shami is now preparing for his comeback to competitive cricket. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
