Pacer Shami ruled out of Asia Cup

Pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the Asia Cup scheduled to start on February 24, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Friday.

"The BCCI medical team confirms that Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of Asia Cup, 2016.The decision has been taken to give him more time to recover from the Grade II injury to his left hamstring," a release from BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said.

Shami sustained an injury to his left hamstring during a training session in Australia during the limited overs series last month, and missed two warm-up games before flying back home. He was originally said to be out for around four to six weeks, but the medical staff feel that he will need more time to recover.

Right-arm seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been roped in as Shami's replacement.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the replacement," the release added.

The last time Shami donned the Indian colours was in the World Cup semi-final against Australia in March 2015.

The 25-year-old's absence could be quite a setback for India who are still trying to figure out their best bowling line-up before the World T20 next month.

India, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will start their campaign in the Asia Cup against hosts Bangladesh on February 24.