Mohammed Shami dismisses retirement rumors, emphasizing his commitment to cricket. He affirms his dedication to playing domestically if not selected internationally and aims to win the ODI World Cup.
Veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has not played any international cricket since the Champions Trophy 2025 Final against New Zealand. Shami’s last appearance in competitive cricket was IPL 2025, where he struggled with his fitness and picked just six wickets in nine outings for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The 34-year-old was left out of the India squad for the recently concluded Test series against England due to recurring fitness concerns, with doubts about his workload and the ability to withstand the demands of Test cricket cited as key factors cited by chief selector Ajit Agarkar during the squad announcement in May. Shami was ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia as he was recovering from a heel injury that required surgery.
After being excluded from India’s Test squad for the England tour, it was rumoured and speculated that Mohammed Shami might call time on his illustrious career, given the struggle with his fitness and the emergence of younger pacers in the Indian setup.
‘You don’t pick me internationally, I will play domestic’
Mohammed Shami vehemently denied retiring from cricket anytime soon, stating that he will keep working if selectors don’t pick him and will leave the sport if he gets bored. The veteran pacer added that he will play domestic cricket if he does not get picked for international matches.
“If someone has a problem, tell me, if it is like their lives become better if I take retirement. Tell me whose life have I become a rock in that you want me to retire? The day I get bored, I will leave,” Shami told News24.
“You don’t pick me, but I will keep working hard. You don’t pick me internationally, I will play domestically. I will keep playing somewhere or the other. You have to make these decisions when you start feeling bored. That is not the time for me now,” he added.
Mohammed Shami has made his return to competitive cricket for the ongoing Duleep Trophy, where the pacer will play for East Zone in the quarterfinal match against North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) ground in Bengaluru.
Shami has been the backbone of India’s bowling for over a decade, especially in Tests and ODIs. In red-ball cricket for India, the 34-year-old has picked 229 wickets, including 12 four-wicket hauls and 6 fifers, at an average of 27.71 and an economy rate of 3.30 in 64 matches. While in ODIs, Shami has scalped 206 wickets, including 10 4-wicket hauls and 6 fifers, at an average of 24.05 and an economy rate of 5.58 in 108 matches.
Shami aspires to fulfill ODI World Cup dream
Mohammed Shami has expressed his wish to win the ODI World Cup in 2027 after Team India came close to clinching the prestigious title before losing to Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Shami was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, picking 24 wickets, including a four-wicket haul and 3 fifers, at an average of 10.70 and an economy rate of 5.26 in 7 matches.
“I only have one dream left, that is to win the ODI World Cup. I want to be a part of that team and perform in that way that wins the ODI World Cup and brings it home,” Shami said.
“We were very close in 2023. We had a gut feeling, but we also had a fear that we were winning non-stop, and it was the knockout stage. There was some fear. But the enthusiasm and belief of the fans motivated us. This was a dream that could have been fulfilled, but maybe it was not in my luck,” he added.
The 14th edition of the Men’s ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October-November 2027. Mohammed Shami is the leading wicket-taker for Team India in the history of the 50-over prestigious tournament, scalping 55 wickets, including 4 fifers and as many four-wicket hauls, at an average of 13.52 and an economy rate of 5.13 in 18 matches.