Laxmi Ratan Shukla Slams BCCI Over Mohammed Shami’s Omission From NZ ODIs

Laxmi Ratan Shukla criticised BCCI for ignoring Mohammed Shami despite his strong domestic form ahead of the New Zealand ODI series.

Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla has strongly criticised the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee for leaving out senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami from India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Shukla said no international cricketer has shown as much commitment to domestic cricket as Shami in recent times and labelled the decision as unfair.

Shami last represented India in ODIs during the 2025 Champions Trophy, where his performances played a key role in India winning the title. The veteran pacer dealt with fitness issues before and after the tournament but appears to have overcome those concerns. In the ongoing domestic season, Shami has taken 11 wickets in five matches at an average of 22.27.

On the very day the squad was announced, Shami delivered another strong performance, returning figures of 3/55 and scoring an unbeaten 25 against Assam.

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“The selection committee has done an injustice to Mohammed Shami. No international player has played domestic cricket with as much dedication as Shami in the recent past. Even after toiling hard in domestic cricket, what the selection committee has done with Shami is shameful,” Shukla said on Saturday (January 3), as quoted by Revsportz.

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India selected four frontline pace bowlers for the ODI series, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh. Siraj did not feature in India’s previous ODI series against South Africa, indicating that the selectors were open to including an additional fast bowler. However, they opted for the Hyderabad pacer instead of Shami.

Ahead of the squad announcement, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was repeatedly questioned about Shami’s chances. On each occasion, Agarkar cited concerns over the pacer’s match fitness. The BCCI did not hold a press conference following the squad announcement, offering no further clarification on Shami’s omission.