Shami hits back at retirement talk, says he’ll play till passion fades.
Mohammed Shami isn’t done yet. The senior India pacer has pushed back hard against questions about his retirement, saying he will quit only when he feels the game no longer excites him.
Left out of recent squads, Shami has found himself on the fringes of India’s Test and T20I plans. The Champions Trophy was his last appearance in national colors, and a tough IPL season didn’t help his case either. With stalwarts like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring, and Virat Kohli along with Rohit Sharma stepping away from formats, chatter around Shami’s future has grown louder.
The bowler though cut it off with a blunt reply. “If someone has a problem, tell me. If their lives become better if I retire, tell me whose life have I blocked? The day I get bored, I will leave. You don’t pick me, but I’ll keep working hard. I’ll play domestic if not international. I’ll keep playing somewhere,” he told News24.
For Shami, the biggest goal still remains the ODI World Cup. India’s heartbreaking loss in the 2023 final only deepened his hunger. “I only have one dream left, that is to win the ODI World Cup. We came close last time. There was some fear in the knockouts, but the fans’ belief kept us going. Maybe it wasn’t my luck then,” he said.
At 34, he may not be part of every squad, but the message is crystal clear. Mohammed Shami isn’t walking away because someone else wants him to. Only when the fire burns out. Not before.