'Injustice with Mohammed Shami': Bengal head coach lashes out at selectors after pacer ignored for New Zealand ODIs

Mohammed Shami’s India career appears to be over as the veteran pacer was once again ignored by selectors when on Saturday they announced the squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Reports ahead of the announcement suggested that Shami could make a comeback into the side but he was not among the four pacers who made the cut for the series starting January 11 in Vadodara.

The 35-year-old, who has an experience of 197 international matches, last played for India in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. He then took a break due to injury and even when he has recovered now, the pacer continues to get overlooked.

Shami is currently playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal and his head coach at the domestic team, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, slammed the selectors for looking beyond the veteran pacer. Shukla said that what was being done to Shami was “unjust” and “shameful”.

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Shukla slams selectors over Shami snub

Shukla, who played three ODIs for India in 1999, said that Shami is putting the hard yards in domestic cricket and continues ignorance of him by the selectors is “shameful”.

“The selection committee has done an injustice with Mohammed Shami," Shukla told RevSportz after the squad announcement. “No international player has played domestic cricket with as much dedication as Shami in the recent past. Even after toiling hard in domestic, what the selection committee has done with Shami is shameful.”

Since recovering from injury, Shami has consistently appeared for Bengal in the ongoing domestic season. He played four Ranji Trophy matches and picked up 20 wickets at an average of 18.6. The pacer was the leading wicket-taker for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 16 scalps in seven outings. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy as well, Shami has already taken 11 wickets and has looked in good rhythm.

With age not on his side and selectors consistently overlooking his performances in the domestic circuit, there is a feeling that India might be looking for younger pace options with an eye on the future.

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One of the most prolific wicket-takers in Indian fast-bowling history, Shami has 229 wickets in 64 Test matches and 206 wickets in 108 ODIs. His ODI strike rate of 25.85 is the best for a player from a Test playing nation in the history of ODIs for anyone with over 100 wickets in the format. He also has 27 T20I wickets to his name.