Mohammad Shami last played for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Despite solid domestic results, Shami was ignored by the selectors, who went with Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna as their preferred fast-bowling foursome for the 50-over format.
Shami's personal coach criticized the selection decision, namely head of selectors Ajit Agarkar, when the team was announced. Speaking on the phone with India Today, he expressed his dissatisfaction and asked what else the pacer needed to do to deserve a recall to the Indian side.
“What more can a player do? How many more wickets should the player take? This means that they don’t want him in the ODI team. He has a lot to give," Shami’s coach said on a call with India Today.
Shami has done well in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 11 wickets from five games for Bengal, including figures of 3/55 against Assam.
Bengal team head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla also criticized the selection committee for the decision. The former KKR player stated that no other international cricketer has demonstrated more dedication to domestic cricket in recent years.
“The selection committee has done an injustice to 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 said while speaking to RevSportz.
Shami’s return to domestic cricket with 47 wickets in 16 games, including 20 wickets from four Ranji Trophy matches, 16 from seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy encounters, and 11 from five Vijay Hazare Trophy games till now.