Mohammed Shami’s long-time coach, Mohammed Badruddin, has openly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its selection committee, accusing them of deliberately overlooking the veteran pacer for India’s upcoming tour of South Africa.
Despite his stellar form in domestic cricket, Shami, aged 35, has been left out of both the India A and senior squads for the South Africa series. Badruddin expressed his frustration, claiming that the selectors had already “made up their minds” not to pick Shami, and that their reasoning surrounding his fitness was nothing more than “an excuse”.
“They are ignoring him, that’s clear. There’s no other reason that makes sense to me,” Badruddin said in an interview. “He’s not unfit — when a player takes 15 wickets in just two Ranji Trophy games, how can he possibly be called unfit? The selectors are simply overlooking him, and only they can explain why.”
According to Badruddin, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had decided in advance that Shami would not feature in the Test squad for South Africa. He strongly condemned this approach, arguing that selection should depend on domestic red-ball performances rather than T20 metrics.
“It seems all these decisions were pre-determined. This talk about fitness or performance is just an excuse. Claims like ‘he’s unfit’ or ‘needs match practice’ are completely false. They already have a set plan for who they want to play and who they don’t,” he asserted.
Shami’s recent statistics further highlight the puzzling nature of his omission:
| Competition | Matches Played | Wickets Taken | Best Bowling | Average | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranji Trophy 2025/26 | 3 | 15 | 6/42 | 17.8 | Excellent form |
| Champions Trophy 2025 | 5 | 9 | 4/27 | 22.4 | Joint second-highest wicket-taker |
Shami last represented India on 9 March 2025, in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, where he played a vital role in guiding India to the title match.
Badruddin also acknowledged that Shami felt deeply disappointed by the continued rejection but remained confident that the experienced bowler would make a powerful comeback.
“Obviously, he’s disturbed. Anyone would be if they perform well yet keep getting ignored. But I’m certain he’ll return stronger. When he does, his comeback will silence everyone. If the selectors keep saying they choose based on performance, then Shami’s case clearly disproves that claim.”
He went on to add,
“You cannot ignore someone who has given so much to Indian cricket, especially in major tournaments like the World Cup. The entire nation is behind him, and I’m sure his time will come again.”
Shami, who endured a sub-par IPL 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, is expected to be part of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, where franchises will closely watch whether the seasoned fast bowler can once again reclaim his place among India’s elite.