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As per a report, Mohammed Shami is set to receive his fitness clearance from the NCA and will be on a flight to Australia soon.
Mohammed Shami last played international cricket in November 2023. (PTI Photo)
Mohammed Shami is expected to be available for the final two Tests of India’s ongoing tour of Australia, a report claims. Shami is awaiting a fitness clearance certificate from the National Cricket Academy post which he will board a flight to Australia to join the India squad.
Shami wasn’t picked in India’s original squad for the five-match series which got underway last month. However, he’s been taking part in domestic cricket and represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in a bid to prove his match fitness.
“Shami’s India kit has already been dispatched to Australia. He will complete Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 assignment and then leave,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.
Shami last represented India at the 2023 ODI World Cup final following which he was forced to the sidelines due to an ankle issue for which he later underwent a surgery.
Currently taking part in SMAT 2024, Shami will be in Bengaluru and NCA medical team head Dr Nitin Patel, and Strength and Conditioning trainer Nishant Bordoloi would reportedly take stock of the 34-year-old’s fitness after Bengal end their campaign.
“Shami will be playing the pre-quarter final for us against Chandigarh. He will join us in Bengaluru by tomorrow. However, I am not sure if he will be available if we qualify for quarters or go the distance. Guess he will be fit and available for last two Australia Tests,” Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla told PTI.
Shukla further said Shami has lost weight and played enough cricket in a short span of time.
“He (Shami) has already shed around six kilograms of body weight. He has played seven T20 games in 13 days. If he plays pre-quarters it will be eight games in 16 days. Shami himself wanted to play fair amount of domestic cricket and inform NCA how his body reacts,” Shukla said.
The news comes on the day when Jasprit Bumrah pulled gave India an injury scare after he pulled up midway through his 20th over of Australia’s first innings of the 2nd Test. He was attended to by the team physio before resuming.
