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The Mohammed Shami absence across formats is a mystery that remains unsolved. During former chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s tenure, Shami was part of India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025-winning side. After the triumph, he was dropped. There were concerns raised about his fitness. Then Shami took the domestic cricket route and responded with answers through his performances, but his absence across formats continued. He is not on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) list of centrally contracted players. It seemed that the selectors and the management have moved on.
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But with Agarkar’s departure and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the T20I side after nearly four years, many assumed that Shami has a chance of an ODI return, especially when Prasidh Krishna got injured and Jasprit Bumrah’s workload is being managed.
Once again, Shami faced the snub despite his stellar ODI record against New Zealand. In an exclusive interaction with Sports Tak, Shami opened up on what his current motivation is.
“You're asking the wrong question from the wrong person,” Shami’s straightforward answer on his snub. He wants the selectors to answer the question.
Shami revealed that there has been no communication from selectors or the team management.
"I'm not in the team. I'm not under contract. Who will talk to me? And why would they?" Shami explained that neither the former nor the current selection committee led by Pragyan Ojha has spoken to him.
Despite the circumstances, Shami has not given up hope. He is focusing on the present, helping Bengal win the Ranji Trophy 2026-27.
“Why would you give up hope for anyone? There should always be hope. In any profession, in any sport, you should have a goal. Today we are playing the Ranji Trophy. Playing to win for their state. The goal remains the same,” the veteran pacer said.
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Shami quashes fitness issues rumours
Recently, there were rumours that Shami is facing fitness issues, and that he is bowling shorter spells, which have contributed to his continued snub from the Indian selection committee. Shami says that all the Ranji matches are televised and he bowls as per team’s demands and pitch conditions. That was also the reason why he did not play in the match against Services, where Bengal won by 60 runs.
"I'm not praising myself. I strive to fulfill whatever responsibility I'm given, wherever I am, whatever team I'm on. I always strive to give my 100 percent. The team's needs must be met. I don't think beyond that," the 36-year-old said.
"Who's going to decide whether I'm tired or not? That's something that comes from playing in the team. It's not like anyone will assume I'll just keep bowling," he added.
Shami not thinking about retirement
Shami was asked whether he has given retirement a thought. The pacer says he chooses to think of the present, and the day he thinks about feeling tired in the morning ahead of a match, he will automatically call time on his career. For now, he is continuing to focus on his skills and the task at hand.
"I don't think that far ahead. We don't know what's going to happen to a person, when, where, or what's going to happen. Today we're playing cricket, and tomorrow we don't know what's going to happen to anyone, what situation we'll be in, who'll score runs, who'll take wickets. You should keep playing the matches you get. I always say that your focus should be on your skills. I don't want to burden myself by thinking so far ahead. I'm getting to play domestic cricket. There's still plenty of time," he said.
How Shami performed in Ranji Trophy opener?
In Bengal's Ranji Trophy opener against Delhi, he bagged a four-wicket haul in the first innings. He bowled 17.3 overs, including nine maidens, and helped his side bowl out Delhi for 240. In Delhi's second innings, he bowled 18 overs, featuring seven maidens, and got one wicket.
Shami will be back in action when Bengal go up against Kerala starting on October 26.
When was Shami’s last appearance for India?
Shami’s last appearance in the Indian jersey was in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.
Why Shami’s record made him an expected pick for New Zealand ODIs?
Shami possesses an excellent record against New Zealand, barring the Champions Trophy final where he went for 74 runs in nine overs and took a wicket. From 16 ODIs, he has 38 wickets against the Kiwis, averaging 21.15. He picked up a seven-wicket haul in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal against New Zealand. His strike rate is as low as 20.6 against the BlackCaps.
His record on New Zealand soil is excellent as well. From 12 ODIs, he has 27 wickets at an average of 22.44, including a four-wicket haul.
Who are India's pacers for ODIs in New Zealand?
Anshul Kamboj did not make an impressive debut against West Indies, but he has got the nod from the selectors. Gurnoor Brar has been expensive, conceding more than 90 runs twice in his ODI career of nine games already. The team management wants the pace and bounce generated by the two pacers to cause problems for Kiwi batters. Brar is in India’s ODI World Cup 2027 plans as well.
Krishna's participation is subject to fitness. Mohammed Siraj will be the leader of the pace attack for the first three ODIs. As the focus will shift to the two-Test series, Auqib Nabi and Yash Thakur will replace Siraj and Krishna for the last two ODIs of the series. Arshdeep Singh will lead the pace battery in these two ODIs.
Nabi, a proven performer in domestic red-ball cricket, has got another chance in ODIs after the Test snub. Thakur got his maiden ODI call-up after taking seven wickets for India A in the three One-Day series against Australia A earlier this month. Thakur had made his T20I debut earlier this year and bagged four wickets on the Zimbabwe tour. He has five wickets from four T20Is. In List A cricket, he has 97 wickets from 60 games, averaging 26.38, including one fifer and five four-fers.
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