‘It’s sad when someone who’s played so well for the country has to go. I definitely thought he had another 30 or 40 wickets in him. He should have played in the last 12 months’
‘I’m a little disappointed that he didn’t get another go’
IMAGE: Ravi Shastri believes Mohammed Shami deserved another opportunity in Test cricket. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- Ravi Shastri believes Mohammed Shami had another 30 to 40 Test wickets left in him before his retirement.
- Shastri questioned the emphasis on gym-based fitness over a fast bowler’s ability to bowl 10-12 overs in a match.
- Shami’s strong performances for Bengal in the 2026 Duleep Trophy and 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season demonstrated his match fitness.
- The former coach highlighted that Shami’s last Test appearance for India was more than three years ago, in the 2023 World Test Championship final.
- Shastri cited former greats like Richard Hadlee and Wasim Akram who believed in regular bowling to maintain rhythm and match fitness.
Ravi Shastri is convinced Mohammed Shami could have added considerably more to his Test career and believes the veteran pacer deserved another opportunity before being forced to call time on the format.
The former India head coach questioned the repeated doubts over Shami’s fitness, pointing to the number of overs he has bowled for Bengal and his performances in domestic cricket as evidence that he could still have done a job for India.
Shami announced his Test retirement on November 6, exactly 13 years after making his debut in the format. He walked away with 229 wickets from 64 Tests, but his last appearance for India came more than three years ago, in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia.
Speaking on Extra Innings ahead of India’s second ODI against New Zealand, Shastri said he had expected Shami to add another 30 to 40 wickets to his Test tally and felt the pacer should have been given another chance.
“It’s sad when someone who’s played so well for the country has to go. I definitely thought he had another 30 or 40 wickets in him. He should have played in the last 12 months and perhaps should have been in the side as a Test-match bowler,” Shastri said.
Shami’s Test Retirement And Shastri’s View
Shami’s career was hit by a series of injuries following the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent ankle surgery in February 2024 and later developed knee problems, which kept him out of India’s five-Test tour of Australia.
The Bengal pacer returned to international cricket in January 2025, featuring in the T20I and ODI series against England before playing all five matches of the Champions Trophy.
But another setback ahead of India’s 2025 Test tour of England put paid to his hopes of returning to the Test side. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said Shami’s workload was not where it needed to be, with the medical team advising against picking him for a demanding five-Test series.
Fitness Concerns And Selection Decisions
Shastri was not convinced by the repeated emphasis on Shami’s fitness, questioning the importance given to gym-based fitness when a fast bowler was already putting in the hard yards in competitive cricket.
“What’s the point of being fit in the gym if you can’t bowl 10 or 12 overs in a match? Here, you’ve got a workhorse who’s bowling for you. So, I’m a little disappointed that he didn’t get another go,” he said.
The debate over Shami’s fitness resurfaced when he was left out of India’s squad for the West Indies Test series later that year. Agarkar said he did not have a clear update on the pacer’s fitness and felt he had not played enough competitive cricket.
Shami, in response, made his position clear, arguing that if he was fit enough to play four-day cricket for Bengal, he could also play 50-over cricket.
Shami’s Strong Domestic Comeback
Away from the national set-up, Shami has continued to put in the overs for Bengal and has shown that he remains a key part of their bowling attack.
He picked up seven wickets in three matches for East Zone in the 2026 Duleep Trophy, helping the side win the title. He carried that form into the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, taking 14 wickets in his first three matches at an average of 14.00.
His haul included a match-winning 5/59 against Delhi and 4/37 against Maharashtra, underlining the workload he has been able to handle in domestic cricket.
Shastri Advocates For Regular Bowling
Shastri pointed to these performances while questioning why there were still doubts about Shami’s fitness.
“I’ve heard all these press reports about his fitness not being good, but he was playing every game for Bengal. He was bowling 15-20 overs. What more do you want a player to do to prove his fitness?” he said.
The former India coach also stressed that fast bowlers needed to bowl regularly to stay in rhythm and maintain their match fitness. He cited former greats Richard Hadlee and Wasim Akram as examples of pacers who believed in bowling regularly and putting in the overs.
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