Mohammed Shami’s displeasure with the national selectors has been well known, with the pacer going on record to say that the Ajit Agarkar-led committee did not communicate with him about the reasons for his non-selection in the Indian side. The pacer had suffered a chronic heel issue during the 2023 World Cup and had since been missing in action due to one injury or another.
However, Shami cleared all doubts about his fitness during the ongoing Ranji Trophy, where he has bowled over 93 overs for Bengal and has impressed one and all with his performances.
A new report by news agency PTI suggests that Shami still may not find a spot in the Indian side in both the ODI as well as the Test formats. The report notes that selectors wanted Shami’s services in England, where Jasprit Bumrah could not participate in more than three Test matches.
“There have been multiple times that national selectors and support staff from the BCCI Centre of Excellence have called to check on Shami. The selection committee was desperate to get his services in England as Jasprit Bumrah could not have played more than three Tests,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.
Moreover, a senior member of the BCCI selection panel even sent multiple messages to Shami to inquire about the 35-year-old’s fitness status and even requested him to play at least one India A match against England Lions in Canterbury or Northampton.
Shami is said to have responded by saying that he still needs time to build his workload and should not be considered for the England series.
No-communication narrative with Shami is not right:
The official further said that the narrative that Shami wasn’t contacted isn’t right. They said, “So the narrative that there was no communication with Shami isn't an absolute truth. The sports science team also has his medical reports and whether his body will be able to take the rigours of international cricket.”
The future of Shami in the 50-over format will depend on the national selectors. The report noted that there are also a lot of questions about Shami’s fitness.
The pacer hasn’t been bowling long spells for Bengal, where he has mostly limited himself to four-over spells while taking many breaks in the middle. He has also not gone over the 130 kmph mark — a big decline from his usual 135+ and sometimes even 140+ speeds seen in the past.