Mohammed Shami won't be travelling to Australia for Border-Gavaskar Trophy, BCCI's 'not fit' verdict ends all hopes

India speedster Mohammed Shami has not been deemed fit by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and, hence, won't be travelling Down Under for the remaining two Tests against Australia. Shami had remained a hot topic of discussion leading up to and all throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with hopes that he may be fit and be available for the Australia Tests at some point. After the end of the drawn Gabba Test against Australia, India captain Rohit Sharma, when asked for the third time in a month about Shami's status, had said it was high time that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) provided an update on India quick.

Shami returned to competitive cricket after playing for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh. He later played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match as well. However, fans and cricket pundits were surprised when Shami was not asked to travel to Australia. The BCCI finally issued an update on Shami's fitness on Monday evening, detailing the entire sequence of events.

"His left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period," the BCCI said in an official release.

"Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the release added.

Shami's knee requires more healing time

The Indian Cricket Board has also stated that Shami's knee will take some more time to recover, and his further participation for Bengal in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on how his recovery progresses.

"Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the BCCI said.

"Shami will continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI's Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game. His participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on the progress of his knee," the board added.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma told reporters that he is aware of Shami playing domestic matches, but there is still uncertainty regarding his recovery. He talked about swelling in Shami's knee.

Shami's last international match for India was the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.