Mohammad Shami ignores BCCI’s advice, bowls 26 overs against Kerala

Pacer Mohammad Shami went against the BCCI’s guidelines put in place for him as he bowled 26 overs for Bengal on the second day of their Ranji Trophy match against Kerala at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

The Indian cricket board had cleared Shami to play the match on the condition that his participation would be limited to 15 and a ‘two-three overs more’ per innings in the match but the fast bowler broke that count and went way past it–11 more overs to be precise as he returned with three wickets as well.

Shami himself clarified why he went past the permissible limit set by BCCI.

Also read: ‘Absurd’ to allow Mohammad Shami bowl only 15 overs per innings: Dilip Vengsarkar

“It was better to bowl for your team and state rather than practising somewhere else… The more you bowl here the more it will help in Australia. It was good preparation. For me, bowling in a match is the best preparation. I prefer that any day. I was feeling well to bowl at home after a long time. All my friends were here. It was after a long time I could play with my team,” Shami said.

Elaborating further, he stated, “When you are playing a match for your state, the important thing is to fulfil your responsibility. I was also feeling well and had no discomfort. The wicket was also doing well, so I continued as long as I could… I decided on my own.”

The BCCI had earlier asked Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin to skip their Ranji Trophy matches so that they receive some rest before the Test series against Australia.
The four-match affair begins with the first Test in Adelaide on December 6.

Image credit- NDTV Sports