Mohammed Shami lacking out on a Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contract didn’t come as a shock to the followers of Indian cricket. To be eligible for a central contract a participant must play at the least a recreation throughout any of the three codecs of worldwide cricket within the final 12 months. Shami final performed for India within the Champions Trophy, in March final yr.
However what actually comes throughout as a shock is the nationwide choice committee turning a blind eye, regardless of the seasoned quick bowler proving his mettle in all codecs of home cricket.
Shami, spearheading Bengal’s quick bowling unit this season, has claimed 28 wickets to date within the Ranji Trophy. Nevertheless, 19 of the wickets got here towards the likes of Uttarakhand, Servives and Assam. He proved some extent in white-ball cricket as nicely, scalping 16 wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, adopted by 15 scalps within the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In distinction, Siraj, who has been known as in as a last-minute substitute within the T20 World Cup, has picked seven wickets in 4 Syed Mushtaq Ali video games and 7 wickets in three Vijay Hazare Trophy video games, whereas Bumrah didn’t function in home video games.
The circumstances didn’t matter to Shami. Neither did the opponent. Shami, in his personal free-flowing manner, saved rising his wickets tally, regardless of the nationwide selectors ignoring him continually.
For a greater a part of final yr, every time Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the choice committee, addressed the media, there would invariably questions on Shami’s omission and whether or not there have been any damage issues for him, particularly after he emerged as India’s highest wicket-taker within the Champions Trophy and by no means performed for India thereafter. The quick bowler picked 9 wickets in 5 matches, main India’s bowling assault within the absence of Bumrah as India went on to win the trophy underneath the management of Rohit Sharma.
READ | Shami fires again at Agarkar: Let him say no matter he desires to, you’ve seen how I bowled
However Agarkar’s response was largely non-committal “I’ve no updates.”
Tales floated that Shami refused the board’s request to fly to England in July final yr for the Check sequence regardless of the nationwide selectors and help employees from the BCCI Centre of Excellence continually checking on him. The stories claimed that the choice committee was determined to get his providers in England, as Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t have performed greater than three Exams. Shami, the stories claimed, responded by saying that he nonetheless must construct his workload and shouldn’t be thought of for the task.
However neither Shami confirmed it, nor did the selectors deny it.
Collection got here and went – the England Exams, adopted by Check sequence towards West Indies and South Africa at house – gamers suffered accidents, together with Harshit Rana being dominated out of the T20 World Cup, however selectors nonetheless didn’t take into account Shami, indicating that they had been trying past him.
However issues snowballed shortly after an emotional Shami hit out on the selectors in October, saying that it’s not his job to maintain them up to date about his health. R.P. Singh, a member of the choice panel, was seen speaking to the quick bowler at Eden Gardens in October and in Kalyani final week. However what they spoke about by no means got here out within the open, and Shami continued to be omitted.
Now, the query stays whether or not the selectors have formally knowledgeable the 36-year-old that he wouldn’t be thought of going ahead? It doesn’t seem like it. Shami, because the Bengal teaching employees level out, nonetheless desires of donning the India colors, however doesn’t know what lies forward?
The present choice committee has usually drawn flak from senior gamers, together with Ajinkya Rahane, who’ve accused them of not speaking correctly. Their eerie silence on the Shami episode solely raises extra eyebrows.
Is age an element for Shami? Is he not ok to bowl longer spells? Is workload administration an space of concern?
Questions are aplenty, however there are not any solutions. Till the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy, Shami has delivered greater than 190 overs throughout 11 innings for Bengal, proving that he nonetheless has it in him to bowl longer spells and be on the sphere for your complete period of a four-day recreation.
As Bengal gears up for the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy towards Jammu and Kashmir, Shami will as soon as once more spearhead the group’s bowling unit and hope to make each alternative rely.
During the last one yr, the 35-year-old has been doing his job silently. It’s time for the selectors to resolve whether or not to provide him one other probability.
lndia has a busy calendar in 2026, with a white-ball sequence towards England in June, adopted by two Check sequence towards Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively, and the group will profit from his expertise, particularly because the think-tank appears at prioritising workload administration.
A silent servant of the sport deserves readability. And, some respect.
Revealed on Feb 12, 2026