NEW DELHI: Amid a spate of retirements from Indian cricket’s senior stalwarts, including Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami has dismissed rumours about his own future, declaring that he has no plans to step aside just yet.Shami, overlooked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England and dropped from India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, said he would keep playing until the day he no longer feels motivated. In a fiery response to speculation, the 34-year-old questioned the intent behind the chatter.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“If someone has a problem, tell me. Whose life will become better if I take retirement?” Shami told News24. “Mai kiski zindagi mein patthar bana hua hu ki tumhe mujhse retirement chahiye? The day I get bored, I will leave. You don’t pick me, don’t play me, I don’t care. But I will keep working hard.”Shami insisted he would continue to feature in domestic cricket if not selected for internationals. “You don’t pick me in internationals, I will play domestic. I will keep playing somewhere or the other. Retirement and such decisions are made when you start feeling bored, when you don’t want to wake up at 7 am for a Test. That is not the time for me now. I’ll be up at 5 if you want me to,” he said.The fast bowler, who last played for India in March during the Champions Trophy, stressed that his biggest motivation remains unfinished business with the ODI World Cup. “I only have one dream left, that is to win the ODI World Cup. We were very close in 2023. We had a gut feeling, but there was also fear in the knockout stage. The enthusiasm and belief of the fans motivated us. Maybe it was not in my luck then, but I want to be there in 2027,” Shami remarked.Reflecting on his fitness, Shami revealed he has worked tirelessly over the past two months to shed weight, build rhythm, and prepare for longer spells. “Touchwood it is better now. I have trained, increased my skills, practiced batting, fielding, gym work — everything. My focus is on getting rhythm and being able to bowl long spells,” he explained.Despite recent injury setbacks, Shami remains adamant that his journey is not over. As he put it bluntly: “I still love the game. The day I lose that drive, I’ll walk away myself. Until then, I will keep fighting.”
