Mohammed Shami’s name is missing again, and this time, there might be no excuse to keep him out. The experienced pacer, despite picking up 15 wickets in his first three Ranji Trophy games this season, has not found a place in either India’s Test squad or the India A team for the South Africa series. His coach, Mohammed Badruddin, hasn’t taken kindly to the snub, accusing the BCCI and chief selector Ajit Agarkar of deliberately ignoring one of India’s most proven fast bowlers.
Selectors shut the door again on Shami
Shami last played a Test for India in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Since then, his red-ball career has been on pause. He missed most of 2024 due to injury and made his return to international cricket earlier this year in the England series before being named in the Champions Trophy squad. While he picked up nine wickets in five matches in that tournament, he failed to make a mark in IPL 2025 with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), taking just six wickets in nine matches.
That lean IPL run appears to have weighed heavily and might have become a thorn in Shami’s path. Shami was left out of both the England and West Indies Tests earlier this year and now finds no place even in the India A squad. What’s more concerning is that his exclusion has come in despite the fact that he has been relentlessly bowling in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal.
‘Shami is disturbed’
The BCCI and chief selector have cited “fitness concerns” as one of the reasons behind Shami’s omission. However, Shami himself had previously claimed he was fully fit, pointing to his Ranji and Duleep Trophy performances as proof. Then, an ugly episode took place as both Shami and Agarkar went back and forth, although not face to face but raised their concerns to the media.
Badruddin, who has coached Shami since his early days, believes there is more to the story. “They are ignoring him, that’s clear. There’s no other reason that makes sense to me,” he said in an interview with India Today. “When a player is playing Test-level cricket, taking 15 wickets in two games, he doesn’t look unfit from anywhere. The selectors are just overlooking him, that’s it.”
Badruddin admitted that Shami has been affected by the ongoing situation. “Obviously, he’s disturbed. Anyone would be. When you’re performing and still not getting picked, it’s frustrating,” he said. However, he remains confident that the 35-year-old will bounce back. “He’ll make such a comeback that it will silence everyone. If you’re not picking him now despite his form, then stop saying you select based on performance.”
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