From World Cup Hero To Test Retirement: Mohammed Shami's Painful Final Chapter

Mohammed Shami was unsuccessful in convincing the selectors to bring him back into the mix.© PTI

India pacer Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday after repeatedly missing out on selection by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors. The announcement came more than three years after his last appearance for India in the format, which was during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's in June 2023. Coincidentally, Shami had made his Test debut on November 6, 2013, meaning he announced his retirement from the format on the same date as his first appearance in whites.

Despite toiling hard in the domestic circuit, where he bagged a truckload of wickets over the past couple of years, Shami was unsuccessful in convincing the selectors to bring him back into the mix.

While his injury record was cited repeatedly as the reason for his non-selection, the pacer also courted controversy with his public criticism of then chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Shami publicly disagreed with the selectors' assessment after Agarkar, speaking at an event last year, said that the pacer was not yet ready for a return and remained on the road to recovery.

"Let him say whatever he wants. You have seen how I bowled. It is all in front of your eyes," Shami had said at the time.

However, it all went downhill for Shami after the 2023 World Cup on home soil. Despite battling heel and ankle pain, he finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 24 wickets from seven matches.

What followed was nearly a year of rehabilitation for an Achilles tendon injury, which saw him miss the entirety of India's cricket calendar, including IPL 2024.

After successful surgery and rehabilitation, all eyes were on Shami's comeback in November 2024. Despite a successful return to domestic cricket, the pacer was deemed unfit for India's Test tour of Australia.

Months later, he was drafted into the squad for the Champions Trophy in Dubai, where he made an immediate impact. A move to Sunrisers Hyderabad followed ahead of IPL 2025 after Gujarat Titans opted not to retain him.

However, an underwhelming season with Hyderabad, compounded by recurring injury concerns, was followed by another snub for the England tour.

Shami continued to let the ball do the talking, but 37 wickets in seven Ranji Trophy matches were not enough to change the selectors' stance.

While Agarkar's departure as chief selector raised hopes of a potential comeback, the snub for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

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