Mohammed Shami, the Indian fast bowler, has addressed the ongoing discussions about his retirement, firmly stating his intention to continue playing cricket. The speculation arose following his exclusion from the Indian team for the Test series against England and his absence from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Currently playing in the Duleep Trophy for the East zone, Shami clarified that he will retire only when he loses his enthusiasm for the game.
“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 said.
He highlighted his performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the leading wicket-taker. He expressed his ambition to be part of the team that wins the 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 mentioned.
Shami also discussed the ankle injury he suffered during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which required 14 months of recovery. He cautioned about the repercussions of overexertion and pushing the body beyond its limits. “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 stated.