Amidst discussions about his future, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has firmly addressed speculation about his retirement from international cricket. He clarified his intention to continue playing, dismissing the notion of stepping away from the sport prematurely. The exclusion of Shami from the recent five-match Test series against England, followed by his omission from the Asia Cup 2025 squad, fueled the retirement rumors. Currently representing the East zone in the Duleep Trophy, Shami stated that he would only retire when he no longer enjoys playing.
“If someone has a problem, tell me, if it is like their lives become better if I take retirement. Tell me whose life have I become a rock in that you want me to retire? The day I get bored, I will leave. You don’t pick me, but I will keep working hard. You don’t pick me in international, I will play domestic. I will keep playing somewhere or the other. You have to make these decisions when you start feeling bored. That is not the time for me now,” Shami commented.
Shami was a key performer in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker with a total of 24 wickets. Looking forward, he expressed his desire to participate in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“I only have one dream left, that is to win the ODI World Cup. I want to be a part of that team and perform that wins the ODI World Cup and brings it home. We were very close in 2023. We had a gut feeling, but we also had a fear that we were winning non-stop, and it was the knockout stage. There was some fear. But the enthusiasm and belief of the fans motivated us. This was a dream that could have been fulfilled, but maybe it was not in my luck,” he shared.
Furthermore, Shami reflected on the ankle injury that plagued him during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which led to a 14-month recovery period. He warned about the potential consequences of overexertion. “We often overpush, and then we have to pay a big penalty. It happened to me during the 2015 World Cup when I pushed a lot and then had to get my knee operated on. It was the same scene in 2023. I played in pain and then I had to give up and spent a lot of time after that. I am not saying not to push, but if it is a normal series, you should talk to the management,” Shami said.