Mohammed Shami’s Coach Blasts Ajit Agarkar /sbkinews.in
Mohammed Shami’s ongoing exclusion from India’s ODI set-up has erupted into a full-blown controversy, with his long-time coach Mohammad Badruddin and Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla publicly slamming chief selector Ajit Agarkar and calling the latest omission for the New Zealand series “shameful” and “injustice.” Contrary to widespread expectations, Shami’s name was missing once again when the 15-man squad for the three-ODI home series vs New Zealand, starting January 11, was announced on Saturday, despite strong domestic form and his key role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph.
The Fresh Snub: No Shami In 15 For New Zealand
The BCCI named a Shubman Gill-led 15-member ODI squad for the New Zealand series featuring Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna as the frontline quicks, with no place for Shami. Shami last played an ODI for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where he took 11 wickets in five matches at an average of 22.27 and was pivotal in India lifting the title.
Since then, he has been repeatedly overlooked across formats, officially on “fitness” grounds, even as he returned to bowl long spells in domestic cricket and the Ranji Trophy. On the very day the New Zealand squad was announced, Shami returned 3/55 with the ball and scored an unbeaten 25 for Bengal against Assam in a Vijay Hazare/Ranji fixture, underlining his match fitness and form.
“Shameful, Injustice”: Coaches Go On The Offensive
Laxmi Ratan Shukla: “No one as committed as Shami”
Bengal head coach and former India all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla launched a stinging attack on the selection committee, accusing them of doing “injustice” to Shami.
Key points from Shukla’s remarks:
“The selection committee has done an injustice to 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.”
“I haven’t seen an international star giving so much to Ranji and domestic after so much success. If such a player is still ignored, what message are we giving to others?”
Shukla pointed out that Shami has bowled 90+ overs in three Ranji matches this season, taking 15 wickets, and has played Vijay Hazare games, dismissing the “fitness” narrative as unconvincing.
Mohammad Badruddin: “They’ve made up their minds”
Shami’s childhood and personal coach Mohammad Badruddin, who has mentored him from his early days in UP, reiterated his long-held view that the BCCI and selectors have “made up their minds” to move on from Shami regardless of his performances.
Badruddin’s main claims:
“My thought is simple — they are ignoring him, that’s clear. There’s no other reason that makes sense to me.”
“He’s not unfit. When a player is playing Ranji, bowling 15 wickets in two games, then he doesn’t look unfit from anywhere.”
“If they still keep him out, then fitness is just an excuse. They have decided in their minds not to pick him.”
“Shami will make a comeback that will silence everyone.”
He argued that if Test squads are picked on Ranji performances and ODIs on Vijay Hazare form, then Shami’s domestic numbers should have guaranteed at least a recall to the larger group.
Agarkar’s Defence: “It’s Fitness”
Ajit Agarkar has consistently cited fitness as the primary reason behind Shami’s absence since mid-2024.
Timeline of Agarkar’s explanations:
After West Indies Tests (Sept 2025): “I don’t have an update… he’s not had a lot of cricket.”
Before England tour (NDTV Summit): “If he was fit, why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami? Over the last six to eight months, what we found out is that he wasn’t fit to be picked for the England tour.”
On Tests vs England/SA: “I don’t think he is fit enough to play five Tests at the moment; medical team ruled him out for now, we expect him to play some part later.”
Agarkar’s line has been consistent:
Shami’s workload and ankle issues post-2023 ODI World Cup surgery make him a risk across long series.
The medical staff, not just selectors, have flagged him as not fully cleared for extended international duty.
However, these statements increasingly clash with Shami’s domestic workload—90+ overs in Ranji, multiple games in quick succession—which Badruddin and Shukla highlight as proof of fitness.
Shami’s Recent Numbers: Do They Merit Recall?
International (Most Recent)
Last ODI appearance: 2025 Champions Trophy final vs New Zealand; leading wicket-taker for India (11 wickets @22.27 in 5 games), including a Player-of-the-Match performance.
Last Test: 2023 WTC final; since then sidelined by ankle surgery and workload management.
Domestic (Last 3–4 Months)
Ranji Trophy for Bengal:
3 matches, 93 overs, 15 wickets; match-turning spells vs Gujarat (old ball burst from 150/2 to 185 all out).
Vijay Hazare / Other List-A games:
5 matches, 11 wickets @22.27, economy under 5.5; also chipped in with useful lower-order runs like 25* vs Assam.
On paper, those are numbers of a bowler in rhythm—and that’s exactly what his coaches argue when they say: “What more can he do?”
Mohammed Shami’s Coach Blasts Ajit Agarkar /sbkinews.in
Squad Composition: Why Selectors Look Elsewhere
For the New Zealand ODI series, the selectors have clearly pivoted toward a younger, World Cup 2027-oriented pace attack:
Mohammed Siraj (27)
Arshdeep Singh (26)
Harshit Rana (24)
Prasidh Krishna (29)
Jasprit Bumrah has also been rested from this series as part of workload management, leaving Siraj as the senior-most quick. The logic appears to be:
Shami is 35+, with a heavy injury history and multiple surgeries.
Siraj, Arshdeep, Prasidh and Harshit need game-time in home conditions as India build depth.
With limited ODI windows, backing the younger core may outweigh a short-term Shami recall.
However, critics ask: why is this applied so strictly to Shami when other 34–36-year-old batters and all-rounders continue in rotation?
Mohammed Shami’s Coach Blasts Ajit Agarkar /sbkinews.in
Growing Perception: “End of the Road” For Shami?
Articles and TV debates have increasingly started framing this as the “end of the road” for Shami in white-ball formats. Former players like Harbhajan Singh earlier blasted his ODI sidelining, saying: “I don’t know why he’s not playing. You can’t find many like him.”
Badruddin fears the selectors have mentally moved on: “Decisions look pre-decided. It feels like they’ve chosen to move ahead without him, whatever he does.”
Shami himself has, on past occasions, publicly questioned decisions—saying if he’s fit enough for Ranji, he should be considered for India—before going quiet more recently.
Mohammed Shami’s Coach Blasts Ajit Agarkar /sbkinews.in
The Larger Debate: Fitness, Transparency, and Fairness
The Shami episode has sparked a deeper discussion on three fronts:
Transparency of Fitness Calls
Selectors cite medical advice but rarely reveal detailed parameters.
Players like Shami counter with real match workloads in domestic cricket.
Fans are left confused: if a bowler can send down 30 overs in Ranji, why not 10 in an ODI?
Consistency in Selection Logic
Age and fitness are used to rest or rotate some seniors but not others.
Shami’s supporters argue he is treated differently despite delivering whenever fit.
Rewarding Domestic Commitment
Shukla’s core argument: Shami is a rare superstar fully committing to Ranji and Vijay Hazare. If even such a player is ignored, what incentive remains for others to slog through domestic seasons?
What This Means For New Zealand ODIs – And Beyond
From a purely cricketing standpoint:
India gain:
A younger pace group gets a high-profile home series.
Clearer picture of who can support Bumrah in 2027 World Cup cycle.
India risk:
Losing an in-form, big-tournament specialist in conditions that suit seam.
Alienating one of the best ODI powerplay and middle-overs seamers of his generation.
For Shami personally, this latest snub reinforces that any comeback may now be injury-contingent (i.e., if others break down) rather than form-based. His coaches, however, continue to back a “silencing” return.
Bottom Line
Mohammed Shami’s omission from the New Zealand ODI squad has reignited an already simmering conflict between selection rationale and on-field evidence. Ajit Agarkar and the selection committee maintain that fitness and future planning justify looking beyond him, but his coaches Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Mohammad Badruddin have torn into that reasoning, branding it “shameful,” “injustice,” and “excuses” in the face of his domestic commitment and numbers.
As India step into another World Cup cycle, Shami’s story has become a litmus test for how Indian cricket balances respect for proven match-winners with the inexorable push toward younger cores and stricter workload models.
