Veteran Indian pacer Mohammad Shami has been reported to have taken painkiller injections throughout the recently held ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Shami, who remained a standout performer for the Indian side, had issues with his heel, however, the pacer didn’t let this hamper his outing in the showpiece event.
A report published in News18 confirmed that Mohammad Shami suffered from a “chronic heel issue” during the World Cup 2023. It further added that the speedster even took injections to deal with the pain associated with the issue.
“Mohammad Shami has a chronic left heel issue. A lot of people don’t know that he took injections regularly during the ODI World Cup 2023 and played the entire tournament through pain,” news agency PTI quoted an unnamed former Bengal teammate of Shami as saying.
“But you must understand that as you grow older, recovery from each niggle or big injury takes that more time,” he added.
It’s worth noting that despite suffering from a chronic heel issue, Mohammad Shami remained Team India’s key bowler throughout the tournament. He even missed a few games in the event, but when he got the opportunity he grabbed it with his hands wide open.
Shami finished as the highest wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023. He appeared in seven games and scalped 24 wickets at an average of 10.71. To add more to his achievements, he picked up 3 five-wicket hauls along with a four-wicket haul.
Since his last outing during the ODI World Cup 2023 Final on November 19, Mohammad Shami has not featured in any international assignments. As per the details available, the pacer is still recovering from his ankle injury and hasn’t got clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
The pacer was also not included in the Indian squad facing South Africa in the two-game test series. Earlier Shami was ruled out for the first test, however, it can now be confirmed that he has also been ruled out for the second India vs South Africa test.
Young Avesh Khan has been drafted into the Indian side as Mohammad Shami’s replacement for the India vs South Africa 2nd Test in Cape Town, starting on January 03.
Team India missed the services of Shami during the first test, which resulted in an embarrassing defeat for the Indians. Rohit Sharma and Co went down by an innings and 32 runs against the Proteas in the Centurian test.
India’s Squad for the India vs South Africa 2nd Test:
Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, K.L. Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, K.S. Bharat, Avesh Khan.
ALSO READ: ICC PUNISH Team India after India vs South Africa Test, docked WTC points for slow-over rate
Visit the ICC OFFICIAL WEBSITE for more recent updates.
