The exclusion of Mohammed Shami in the national team has caused a lot of controversy particularly following the reports that BCCI actually contacted him regarding the England tour, which he allegedly declined.
BCCI Denies Neglecting Mohammed Shami, Said ‘They Were Desperate To Have Him’
Sources have quoted a senior board official saying that selectors were desperate to include Shami due to the resources available in the pace bowling department, but the lack of information about his workload and readiness made the move not come to fruition. Although Shami claims that the BCCI was not communicating, the official version refutes this version of events. The board says that they had had numerous contacts with the camp of Shami, asking him to play India A match with the England Lions as a trial. Shami is supposed to have replied that he was continuing to build his workload and was not ready to come back to a Test match. His previous injury history and impaired bowling speed at around 130 km/h and a low workload given to his domestic side seems to be the problem behind the doubts that he would be able to cope with the demands of international cricket.
Mohammed Shami’s Recent Matches
Having been forgotten in the series against South Africa, this leaves the fans and commentators confused about the next series. The 35 year old is not included by the India captain who was a former captain named Sourav Ganguly who expressed his opinion to the public saying that he does not see the rationale of why the player is not included in the team considering his form and experience back home. The status of Shami is unclear as the selectors consider fitness, shape, age and workload, although the board seem prepared to incorporate Shami, the willingness of Shami himself and the requirements of the game might be the factors to know whether Shami would someday be assigned to full time international service again.
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