Shamik Chakrabarty
The list of Bengal probables, put out by the CAB for the 2025-26 season, had Mohammed Shami’s name at the top. Bengal have started their pre-season in earnest, but the fast bowler is yet to check in. Where is he?
“I think Shami is at the NCA (Centre of Excellence) and will directly join the East Zone squad in Bangalore for the Duleep Trophy,” Saurasish Lahiri, the Bengal senior team’s assistant coach, said during a conversation with this correspondent. How is his body, which the BCCI’s medical team believed wouldn’t be able to take the workload of a Test? That put paid to Shami’s hopes of going to England for the five-match series.
Shami last played a Test two years ago — the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval. On the wrong side of thirty and given his injury record, it is unlikely that he would feature in the red-ball format at the international level again. Sources in the know say that at this stage, Shami can only be considered for the shorter formats. Will he go to the Asia Cup, which is a T20 tournament?
The last T20I that India played, against England at Wankhede on February 2, had Shami in the XI. In fact, the white-ball series against England earlier this year marked his return to the Indian team fold after an elongated injury hiatus. He was part of India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign and bowled well within himself. The IPL followed, where Shami didn’t look the part, taking six wickets from nine matches at an economy rate of 11.23. He appeared to be affected by Father Time.
The Duleep Trophy commences from August 28. The Asia Cup squad is likely to be picked before that. So, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee can’t check Shami’s match fitness. Will they pick him based on his reputation, at a time when Indian cricket has started to live in the present, and the future, under head coach Gautam Gambhir?
It’s not an open-an-shut case. On the face of it, a tournament like the Asia Cup doesn’t call for Jasprit Bumrah’s selection. The great bowler’s workload/injury management saw him play only three Tests in England. Bumrah should be ready and raring to go for the home Test assignments against the West Indies and South Africa that are part of the WTC roster. But with Pakistan’s presence at the Asia Cup, geopolitics might influence cricket decisions.
Mohammed Siraj bowled 185 overs in England. And although he is a machine that hardly ever malfunctions, the 31-year-old hasn’t played a T20I since July 30, 2024. Then again, Siraj is the man of the moment and it would be interesting to see if his Test heroics takes him back to the T20I set-up.
Without Bumrah and Siraj, if the selectors want to keep them fresh for the home Tests, India’s pace attack at the Asia Cup would be callow, mainly relying on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, with Hardik Pandya being the third seamer. Dubai in mid-September is a furnace, weather-wise, and spinners are expected to have a greater role to play. Still, without an old hand, the fast-bowling department might be shorn of the right balance in terms of youth and experience. Therein lies Shami’s chances. If he is not selected, it’s all but over.
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