Mohammad Shami last played Tests for India in 2023 WTC final against Australia.
Mohammad Kaif has stated that no BCCI selector has explained their decisions when it comes to the Indian squad that was announced for the recent West Indies series and the upcoming New Zealand tour. The continuous absence of pacer Mohammad Shami has put the spotlight on the BCCI selection committee.
Shami has not played for India since the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, and despite his good performances in domestic cricket for Bengal, the pacer has not earned a recall in the Indian team in any of the formats.
Now, it is the turn of former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, who too is joining the bandwagon and talking about the lack of ‘transparency’ in not including Shami in the Indian Test team, as per his past and performance.
According to Kaif, Shami, being a player of such caliber, should have more transparency regarding the selection issues, especially when he was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup with 24 wickets in seven games.
“No questions are asked, no BCCI selector explains the decisions, and there’s no accountability. You have to keep transparency. This is about Mohammed Shami—the player of the 2023 World Cup. If he wasn’t there, India would not have reached the final. When Hardik Pandya got injured, Shami came in and didn’t make you feel the absence of a sixth bowler. If Shami wasn’t there, India would’ve been searching for a sixth bowling option. Rohit Sharma took India to the final with five bowlers because Shami was the backup," Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
“Shami took 22-23 wickets in Indian conditions. So, I feel there has to be some transparency as to why the decision has been taken. He’s doing everything—playing first-class cricket, the Ranji Trophy, and taking wickets," he added.
Shami’s last Test appearance came in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.
On multiple occasions, Shami’s fitness issues have been cited as the reason for his exclusion from the Indian team, as the selectors are not confident that he can go through the rigors of bowling in Tests.
In addition to this, he has been bowling short spells in domestic first-class cricket too. However, Kaif explained that Jasprit Bumrah is another Indian pacer who bowls in short spells.
“I heard that he’s (Shami) bowling short spells and so not being picked. Jasprit Bumrah also bowls four-over spells in Test cricket. In England, his workload was being managed, and Shubman Gill followed it. If one bowler is being treated in a particular way, then the same can be done for others too. There’s nothing wrong with bowling short spells if you can get the job done. So, transparency remains a grey area, which I hope should be addressed soon. Someone has to give the clarity," Kaif said.
Incidentally, after the squad announcement, Shami was ‘rested’ from Bengal’s second-round match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.