Mohammed Shami breaks silence on his availability for India tour of England 2025

As India prepares to finalize its squad for the upcoming five-Test battle in England, Mohammed Shami’s fitness has become the talk of the town. Despite his disappointing IPL 2025 season, reports suggest that the Indian selectors are seeking a young player for the forthcoming England tour.

With Mohammed Shami allegedly out of the selectors’ radar for the upcoming five-match Test series in England, the seasoned pacer has not sounded confident about his fitness to bear the workload of red-ball cricket. He has not given clarity on his present fitness for tests.

Workload needs to be increased for red-ball cricket: Mohammed Shami

However, the veteran speedster stressed that he has been pushing himself hard in the nets, doing intense strength drills, bowling extended spells in practice, and gradually building up his red-ball rhythm.

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Mohammed Shami is aware that red-ball cricket demands a heavier workload and is steadily increasing his spells as he knows there's no shortcut back to peak form.

Mohammed Shami was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “I'm trying my best, doing hard work, performing strength exercises, attending practice sessions regularly, delivering maximum numbers of balls in the nets, and managing my workload as much as possible."

"Red ball ke liye workload badhana padega (for red-ball cricket, the workload needs to be increased). The series is right after the IPL. There's also an India ‘A' series. So, it is hectic for everybody.”

While there are whispers on whether the fast bowler is fully match-ready for the intensity of a five-match Test series, Shami said that it is important for the Indian cricket team to have the combination of him and Jasprit Bumrah on the England tour to lead the bowling attack.

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Mohammed Shami says India needs him and Jasprit Bumrah on England tour!!

Meanwhile, Shami admitted that he is not satisfied with his performance in the IPL 2025, where he could scalp only 6 wickets from 9 games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The pacer was also disappointed that he failed to meet the expectations but still feels switching from T20s to Test cricket isn't tough if a pacer is smart about it.

The pacer said that it takes about two to three weeks of focused preparation to get ready for the longest format of the game, but the real key is building stamina and understanding your own strengths as a red-ball bowler.

He further explained, “If you are smart, I don't think it will take you much time to switch to the longest format. Yes, if we talk about the number of overs, it is just four overs in T20s, while a Test requires a pacer to send down 15-20 overs in a day."

"It takes about 15-20 days of preparation to be fit for Test cricket. How is your stamina? What is your strength in Test matches? It is important to evaluate these things.”

Mohammed Shami shares crucial advice for Mayank Yadav

On being asked about his message for young fast bowlers like Mayank Yadav, who is battling with injuries, Shami knows the struggle, having faced both big and small setbacks himself, and suggested the pacer stay strong mentally and listen to his body.

He signed off by saying, “Injuries will remain a major issue as a fast bowler. It has happened to me, both major and minor issues. You have to be mentally and physically prepared to understand how much workload and stress are affecting you. You need to assess the strain your body is under and when you need recovery.”

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