File photo of Mohammed Shami© BCCI/Sportzpics
As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approaches the Champions Trophy selection deadline, a major boost has reportedly arrived in the form of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami. While Shami could not prove his eligibility for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it has been reported that he is all set to be picked for the Indian ODI squad against England as well as for the Champions Trophy, if his comeback goes as planned. However, Shami's return to the Indian T20 squad against England does not seem likely yet.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Shami has either received full clearance from the Sports Science Department of the BCCI's Center of Excellence in Bengaluru or is expected to get it soon, paving his way for the return of the national team. Shami has been playing white-ball cricket for a while and has taken part in Vijay Hazare's domestic one-day league for Bengal. However, his last appearance for India came during the ODI World Cup in October-November 2023.
Since then, Shami has been struggling with ankle injuries. He came close to making the trip to Australia, but minor setbacks prevented him from being deemed fully fit.
The BCCI has reportedly requested a postponement from ICC following the announcement of the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy. However, the Indian T20I squad for the England series is likely to drop soon.
While ICC allows teams to make changes one month after the preliminary squad is announced, it appears that the BCCI will need more time to finalize the squad for the tournament in Pakistan and UAE.
England and India will play five T20Is and three ODIs in the coming weeks, starting on January 22. The three ODIs between the two teams will take place on February 6, 9 and 12.
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