Ajit Agarkar Gautam Gambhir Face Heat For Dropping Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami's future with the Indian cricket team appears uncertain. a strong start in the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, where he claimed 15 wickets in three matches, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee overlooked him for the squads facing South Africa. Shami's personal coach, Mohammed Badruddin, voiced his dissatisfaction, suggesting that the BCCI has decided to exclude Shami from selection.

Badruddin criticised the BCCI's reasoning regarding Shami's fitness as mere excuses. "They are ignoring him (Shami), that's clear. There's no other reason that makes sense to me," Badruddin stated in an interview with India Today. He argued that a player performing well in Test matches and taking 15 wickets in two games cannot be considered unfit.

Selection Controversy

The decision by the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee to omit Shami from the Indian squad for the Test series against South Africa was described by Badruddin as "pre-decided." Initially, Shami was not chosen for the India A squad for unofficial Tests or ODIs against South Africa A and was later excluded from the senior squads as well.

Badruddin expressed his belief that decisions should be based on Ranji Trophy performances rather than T20 metrics when selecting a Test team. He stated, "All this talk about performance or fitness is just an excuse. Saying 'he's unfit' or 'needs match practice' - that's not true."

Shami's Recent Performances

Shami last represented India on March 9, 2025, during the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand. In that tournament, he emerged as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets from five matches. Despite this achievement, he remains sidelined from national selection.

Badruddin acknowledged Shami's frustration over being overlooked but expressed confidence in his eventual return to the Indian team. "I've never had such a conversation with him because honestly, I don't like talking to him about this topic. Obviously, he's disturbed," Badruddin said.

Future Prospects

Badruddin is optimistic about Shami's comeback and believes he will eventually silence critics with his performance. "Of course, he can return. In fact, I'm fully confident he will," he stated. He emphasised that if current form isn't enough for selection, then claims of performance-based selection are misleading.

Shami might participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction following an underwhelming IPL 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His potential inclusion could provide another platform to showcase his skills and make a case for national selection once again.