Mohammed Shami last played for India during the Champions Trophy 2025 and has been away from the India colours ever since. While he has claimed he is fit, a BCCI official has made a huge claim on the pacer, saying that he was asked to play for India A.
India star Mohammed Shami has been in the headlines recently for his continuous absence from the Indian team despite being an almost regular in the domestic circuit. Shami is currently part of Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and played in the first three rounds of the ongoing tournament.
Shami has not played for India since playing a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign. Shami’s last Test outing was way back in June 2023 in the World Test Championship final against Australia, while his last T20I stint came against England before the Champions Trophy in February 2025.
The speedster was previously asked about his fitness and his continuous absence from the team. He had stated that “I have said this before. Selection is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn’t be here playing for Bengal. I think I do not need to speak on this and create a controversy. If I can play four-dayers (Ranji Trophy), I can also play 50-overs cricket,” Shami told the reporters before the start of the Ranji Trophy season on October 15.
Meanwhile, as per a latest update, a BCCI official has stated that the Board wanted Shami to be in England and even asked him to play for India A in the pre-series against the England Lions but he had not built workload for it.
“There have been multiple times that national selectors and support staff from the BCCI Centre of Excellence have called to check on Shami. The selection committee was desperate to get his services in England as Jasprit Bumrah could not have played more than three Tests,” a senior board official told PTI.
“Who wouldn’t want a bowler of his calibre in English conditions?” he added, referring to the series that India ultimately drew 2-2 earlier this year.
The PTI report added that one of the senior members of the selection panel had sent multiple messages to the pacer to enquire about his fitness and to request him to play one of the matches for India A in the dress-rehearsal series against England Lions.
However, the pacer had responded by saying that he needed time to build his workload and shouldn’t be considered for the assignment.
“So the narrative that there was no communication with Shami isn’t an absolute truth. The sports science team also has his medical reports and whether his body will be able to take the rigours of international cricket,” the senior official further added