The veteran pacer clarified that retirement is not on his mind yet, adding that he will only consider stepping away from the game when he feels he has lost interest.
Mohammed Shami has been sidelined from international action for some time. He was not part of India’s squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, with his last appearance coming in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in March. Despite India’s loss, he impressed with nine wickets in five matches, finishing as the team’s joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakaravarthy.
Interestingly,Mohammed Shami has been absent from Test cricket for an even longer period. His last outing in the longest format was the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021–23 final against Australia in June 2023.
“The day I get bored, I will leave”: Mohammed Shami on retirement
In a candid chat with News24, senior pacer Mohammed Shami clarified that he has no immediate plans to retire from cricket. The 34-year-old said he will only consider stepping away from the game when he loses the passion for it.
“If someone has a problem, tell me. Whose life will improve if I retire? The day I get bored, I will leave,” Shami remarked, stressing that he is not burdening anyone with his career.
He further added that not being selected for the national team will not affect his commitment to the sport. “You don’t pick me, don’t play me—I don’t care. I’ll keep working hard. If I’m not chosen for international matches, I will play domestic cricket. I will keep playing somewhere or the other,” he said.
Explaining his mindset, Mohammed Shami noted that retirement comes only when a player loses the willpower to continue. “Such decisions are made when you start feeling bored, when you no longer want to wake up at 7 am for a Test. That’s not the case with me now. If needed, I’ll be up at 5,” he asserted.
Currently, Shami is not part of India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025. However, he is expected to feature in the ODI series against Australia in October and could also make his Test comeback during the home series against the West Indies the same month.