Mohammed Shami responds strongly to retirement rumours

In recent hours, widespread rumours have circulated suggesting that Mohammed Shami may soon follow in the footsteps of Indian cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli by announcing his retirement from Test cricket. Social media platforms have been abuzz with speculation that Mohammed Shami is preparing to step away from the longest format of the game.

In response, Mohammed Shami issued a strong denial and lashed out at the originators of these claims. Refuting a news article published on an English-language website about his potential retirement, Mohammed Shami expressed anger towards the journalist responsible for the report.

"Start counting the days to bid farewell to your own job before commenting on my retirement," Mohammed Shami stated on his social media account. "People like you have completely destroyed journalism. Try making one accurate prediction about a player’s future. This is the worst news I’ve seen today. Sorry."

After recovering from an injury, Mohammed Shami made a comeback to the Indian squad ahead of the Champions Trophy but has struggled to regain his earlier form. As a result, speculation has arisen that he might not be selected for the upcoming Test series against England. Amid his lacklustre performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), critics have been making harsh comments online. Some users have even called for him to be excluded from the England tour squad through social media posts.

Despite the recent criticism, Mohammed Shami was a standout performer during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup held in India. He played a pivotal role in propelling Team India to the final, taking an impressive 24 wickets in just seven matches and emerging as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

Over the course of his career, Mohammed Shami has played 64 Test matches, 108 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 25 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), amassing a total of 462 international wickets.