MUMBAI: A fresh injury is set to delay India's ace pacer Mohammed Shami's comeback to competitive cricket , and could virtually rule him out of the upcoming Border Gavaskar series.
TOI has learnt through a reliable source that Shami, who has been out of the game for almost the entire past year due to an ankle and knee injuries, has developed a side strain injury now.
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The experienced pacer wasn't named in the Bengal squad for the next two Ranji Trophy rounds, against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. At a promotional event in Gurgaon last month, Shami had said he was ready to play again after recovering from an injury. Shami's name was missing when India announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming Test series against Australia.
"I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can't put too much stress on my body. So we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%," Shami had said.
"The Australia series is still far away. The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself fit, and how strong I can be before going there. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series, so it's better I spend some more time on the ground before going. If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to ten days, then it's better I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia," he said.
Shami, who underwent an ankle surgery earlier this year, had bowled full-tilt in the nets at Bengaluru during India's recently-concluded Test series against New Zealand, under the watchful eye of India's bowling coach Morne Morkel. However, during the first Test in Bengaluru, India captain Rohit Sharma had said that Team India didn't want to take an "undercooked Shami" to Australia.
"We are keeping our fingers crossed," Rohit had said, while talking about Shami recovering in time for the Australia tour.
Shami's last appearance in competitive cricket came way back in the ODI World Cup final on November 19 last year against Australia.
