Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami‘s omission from the upcoming tour of New Zealand, especially from the two-match Test series, has raised eyebrows in the Indian cricket fraternity. The 36-year-old has been in blistering form in domestic cricket over the past year or so and picked up five wickets for Bengal in their Ranji Trophy season opener against Delhi earlier this week. However, Shami was overlooked by the selectors once again, with the likes of Anshul Kamboj and Akash Deep getting the nod ahead of the veteran.
Speaking on Shami’s omission from the team, former India batter Mohammad Kaif called for transparency in the selection process, suggesting that someone from the BCCI should address the reason behind his continuous absence from the team.
“I’ve heard things like that somewhere (that the selectors have moved on from him). These days, nobody says anything directly. When a team is selected, all you get is a letter informing you that the team has been finalized. That’s it. You can check your email. There are no public statements, no question-and-answer sessions. No selector or BCCI official comes forward to explain the reasons behind a decision. There has to be transparency. Now, if we talk about Mohammed Shami, he is a proven World Cup performer. Had Mohammed Shami not been there in the 2023 World Cup, India would not have reached the World Cup final,” Kaif said during a discussion on Cricbuzz.
Kaif also addressed reports claiming that Shami was overlooked by the selectors because he cannot bowl long spells. He pointed out that even Jasprit Bumrah bowls in short spells, but that does not affect his ability to make an impact.
“I read somewhere that he is not being selected because he is bowling only short spells. Jasprit Bumrah also bowls short spells, he gets a break after that. In England, when his workload was being managed, Shubman Gill had to manage him with short spells. So, if Shami is bowling short spells, what is the issue with that? He can do his job with short spells as well,” he added.
Kaif also explained that New Zealand’s batters would be relieved not to face Shami, given his outstanding record against the Kiwis.
“Go and ask the New Zealand batters about who they would not want to face. The first bowler that they will name is Mohammed Shami. He won the match single-handedly for us in Dharamshala against them in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and you can add the semi-final at the Wankhede as well. I am telling you this, if you tell New Zealand batters that Mohammed Shami is not coming, they will be breathing a sigh of relief as we speak,” said Kaif.
Shami’s last appearance for India also came against New Zealand during the 2025 Champions Trophy final in Dubai.
