The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the squad for the upcoming tour of England on May 24. Some major calls could be taken for the five-match Test series, which begins on June 20.
With only a few hours left for the announcement, BCCI selectors are mulling over some key decisions. One of them could be the exclusion of veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami. According to the reports, selectors do not seem confident of his fitness.
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It is understood that India pace ace Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to play all five Tests on the England tour. The team management will be managing his workload by resting him at some stage. Considering that, the selectors want other pace options in the squad to be fully fit.
Shami last featured in a Test against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2023. Last year, he underwent an ankle surgery, which put him out of action for nearly a year. The Bengal pacer made his return through domestic cricket and has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Shami, who has been a key part of India’s Test side in the past, has not looked at his best since his injury. Selectors seem to be sceptical about his fitness to bowl longer spells.
“Shami is bowling four overs in IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad but the board and selectors don’t know whether he can bowl more than 10 overs in a day. Test matches in England may demand longer spells from the pacers and we can’t take chances,” a source said.
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The exclusion of Mohammed Shami could open the door for Arshdeep Singh. The left-hand pacer has been on the radar for a while, and could finally get his moment in the red-ball format.
Arshdeep has 66 wickets in First Class cricket from 21 games at an average of 30.37. While the numbers aren’t most promising, he has the ability to swing the ball. He also has County experience, having played for Kent last year.
The other pacer in the frame could be Anshul Kamboj. He has 74 wickets in 22 FC matches at an excellent average of 22.66. Kamboj is part of the India A squad that is due to travel to England in the next few days.
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