Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma says ‘high time somebody at NCA gave update’ on Mohammed Shami’s fitness | Cricket News
Days after claiming that Mohammed Shami had a ‘swelling in his knee’ and the team management wanted to be ‘very careful’ with his return, India captain Rohit Sharma said it is ‘high time somebody at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) gave an update on the pacer.
After the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in a draw, leaving the series finely poised at 1-1 heading into the last two matches, Rohit was asked if Shami would fly down for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests.
He replied: “I think it’s high time somebody at the NCA gave an update on Shami. That’s where he is rehabbing. Those guys need to give us an update.”
Shami had recently travelled to Bengaluru for a fitness test.
After the Adelaide Test, Rohit had said: “We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don’t want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens.”
Earlier this month, sources had told The Indian Express that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is awaiting NCA’s nod to fly the pacer to Australia for the remainder of the series. The senior selection committee, officials said, was awaiting the latest fitness test results from NCA for his inclusion in the Test squad.
It is understood that Shami’s clothing and visa are ready and once declared fit, he will fly to Australia at the earliest.
Shami, who last featured in a Test during India’s World Test Championship final defeat to Australia in June 2023, has made a successful comeback after a year’s break due to a knee injury.
The 34-year-old spearheaded the Bengal pace attack in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, picking up 11 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 7.85.
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