Too old or too good to ignore: The Mohammed Shami conundrum

Is a fast bowler approaching 36 by the 2026 T20 World Cup and 37 by the 2027 ODI edition a risk the selectors are reluctant to embrace? Are they, instead, phasing him out of their long-term plans? Or is it merely a breakdown in communication over fitness, as chief selector Ajit Agarkar once suggested, an explanation Mohammed Shami dismissed as not his concern? These questions swirl every time Shami’s name is omitted from the Indian team. Everyone knows about him: the rasping seam, the wobble that refuses to settle and the habit of arriving at big tournaments and leaving with bigger hauls. Yet, for all that familiarity, his absence from the Indian team has now become a recurring theme.India are understandably wary of pinning their World Cup hopes on two high-class but injury-prone fast bowlers in their thirties: Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. With the domestic pace cupboard thin, the instinct is to invest early in younger bodies. What is harder to justify is ignoring pedigree. Shami is India’s highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups: 55 wickets at an average of 13.5 in 18 games. The recent numbers only strengthen his case. In four Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal, Shami bowled an average of 20 overs an innings and claimed 20 scalps at 18.6. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he picked up 16 wickets in seven games. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he prised out 11 at 22.5 in five games. Shami played a crucial role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy, claiming 9 scalps from 5 games. Yet, he was omitted from 2025-26 central contracts.Badruddin Siddiqui, Shami’s long-time coach, does not mask his frustration. “There’s fire in him,” he says. “He is serious about playing for India. I always tell him --- perform karte raho: India will need you,” he says. For Siddiqui, the equation is simple. A cricketer’s job is to perform; the selectors’ job is to decide. “Age should never be a consideration. Fitness, performance and fire: that’s what matters.” Domestic cricket, Siddiqui argues, is too easily dismissed. “Bowling 25 overs in a day is not easy,” he says. “There is no bowler who can replace him. There is a lot left in him.” Former Delhi pacer Sanjeev Sharma offers a more nuanced perspective. “There’s a lot of difference between domestic and international cricket,” he says. “Even a T20 international takes a lot out of you: in terms of fielding, bending and chasing. There is no place to hide in international cricket.” “Perhaps, Shami is not yet at the exact match-fitness level the selectors want him to be,” Sharma notes. Perhaps, communication has faltered, he says. But Sharma is unequivocal about Shami’s ability. “Skill-wise, he is your second-best fast bowler after Bumrah. There’s no doubt in my mind that Shami will return.” Around Shami, competition has intensified—Arshdeep Singh’s left-arm angles, Siraj’s stamina, Harshit Rana’s development. But competition does not erase class. “Performs speaks for itself,” Siddiqui says. “Bilkul wapas aayega: he will be back,” he adds.