“Unless we are not 100%, 200% sure…not going to take any risk…” Rohit Sharma remains doubtful over Mohammed Shami’s inclusion…

New Delhi: Team India skipper, Rohit Sharma was dicey when it came to the inclusion of Mohammed Shami in the squad as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin who has recently declared his retirement from international cricket. With the departure of Ashwin, the obvious question is who will replace the off-spinner in the squad.

 

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Mohammed Shami had recently made his comeback in the squad after nursing a sore ankle during the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Moreover, he was also included in Bengal’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy which is scheduled to begin on Saturday. Naturally, under these circumstances, it is expected that the pacer will board the first flight to Australia given that the team needs an extra bowler on the side.

 

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Here’s what Sharma remarked:

It’s high time somebody from NCA talks about him. Really, that’s our National Cricket Academy where he is doing his rehab. Those guys are the ones who need to come up and give us some kind of update,” Rohit said during the post-match press conference…

Interestingly, following the pink ball Test in Adelaide, Rohit revealed that Shami had developed swelling in his knees while playing in SMAT. Tackling the tricky questions of the journalists, Sharma remarked:

But look, I understand he’s playing a lot of cricket back home. But there have been some complaints about his knee as well. So, the last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens….

In the closing remarks, Sharma said that the door for Shami is always open given the pacer is recovering his full fitness.

https://youtu.be/XGNSrKuJiDM?si=zdeKHhNMtkqXq0VP

Last week a BCCI official told PTI that Shami himself feels he is not ready to take the rigours of red-ball cricket right now.