Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami has responded to speculation regarding his retirement from international cricket, expressing his intentions to continue playing as long as he enjoys the game. Recently, he was not selected for the five-match Test series against England, and was also excluded from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Shami, currently participating in the Duleep Trophy representing the East zone, made it clear that he will retire when he becomes bored with the sport. He currently feels motivated to keep 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 stated.
He highlighted his significant contribution to the ODI World Cup 2023, where he was the highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets. Shami revealed his remaining ambition is to play in the upcoming 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 added.
Shami also discussed his ankle injury sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which led to a 14-month recovery period. He emphasized the importance of managing physical strain to avoid severe consequences. “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.