Due to a hand injury, veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami will not play in the ODI series against Bangladesh, which begins on Sunday, a BCCI source said on Saturday. After returning from Australia, where the Indian side lost in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, Shami is said to have hurt himself during a training session. Shami might potentially be unavailable for the forthcoming two-Test series, which starts in Chittagong on December 14.
“Mohammed Shami has suffered a hand injury that he sustained after resuming training post T20 World Cup in Australia. He has been asked to report at the NCA and has not travelled with the team on December 1,” a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Shami’s ailment has not yet been fully assessed. The Bengal speedster, 33, is a crucial component of India’s ODI strategy heading into the World Cup in 2014.
Shami’s absence from the Test series would worry captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid because India needs to win every game to remain in the running for the upcoming World Test Championship final at the Oval in June. “Shami’s absence from three ODI games is definitely a factor but bigger worry is his likely absence from Tests where he is supposed to spearhead the attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence,” said the source. Shami has taken 216 wickets in Test cricket from 60 matches.