Mohammed Shami’s exclusion from India’s team for the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11, has angered the experienced pacer’s personal coach and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.
Shami was not included in the 15-man squad that was revealed on Saturday. The 35-year-old’s outstanding performance in the current Vijay Hazare Trophy, the BCCI’s top 50-over domestic competition, had increased his chances of being selected.
Shami has already taken 11 wickets for Bengal in five games. But his name was absent from the Shubman Gill-led team.
Regarding the choice made by the selectors, Shami’s coach asked what more the seasoned pacer could do to compel Agarkar and company to select him once more.
“What more can a player do? How many more wickets should the player take?” Shami’s coach told India Today.
Additionally, Shami’s coach was apprehensive that his disciple’s career with the Indian ODI team has come to an end.
“This means that they do not want him in the ODI team. He has a lot to give,” he added.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla, the coach of Bengal, too criticized the selection committee for Shami’s exclusion, calling it an “injustice.”
“The selection committee has done injustice with Mohammed Shami. No international player has played domestic cricket with as much dedication as Shami in the recent past. Even after toiling hard in domestic cricket, what the selection committee has done with Shami is shameful,” Shukla told Revsportz.
Shami last represented India during their triumphant Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker for the side with nine scalps. Since then, the senior pacer has slipped out of the national reckoning, missing the tour of England, the white-ball series in Australia and the home assignments against South Africa.
For the New Zealand series, the pace attack consists of Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fourth option. India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is also rested.
