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After Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s selection for India’s T20 side, anticipation is growing within the system about a possible return for Mohammed Shami to the ODI setup ahead of the 2027 World Cup, even if a Test comeback remains unlikely. However, there appears to be a stumbling block within the team for the veteran fast bowler.
Sources told CricBlogger that the selectors are keen to bring Shami back, much as they did with Bhuvneshwar. However, India head coach Gautam Gambhir is less enthusiastic about the idea. Even captain Shubman Gill is understood to be comfortable with a pace attack that may not include Shami.
“With the selectors fully convinced about Shami’s fitness and commitment following the last domestic season, Gambhir may still not be entirely convinced. It is often suggested that Shami himself is aware that his absence from the team stems from Gambhir’s doubts about his fitness levels,” a BCCI source said.
When CricBlogger reached out to the BCCI for a comment, no officials were available to respond.
In such a scenario, a showdown between the selectors and Gambhir could be on the cards in the coming days, when the squads for the ODI and Test series against New Zealand are selected.
The BCCI has made it clear that team selection is the responsibility of the selectors, not the head coach. This principle was followed when Shreyas Iyer was appointed captain of the T20 side ahead of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. However, the equation appeared to change when the selectors and the head coach were reluctant to continue with Rohit Sharma after the ODI series against England, only for their preference to be overruled.
A source also revealed that the selectors had backed Rishabh Pant for the ODI series against the West Indies, particularly with several regulars occupied with the Asian Games in Japan. However, Gambhir was convinced that Pant would not fit into the playing XI, and the wicketkeeper-batter was ultimately left out of the squad.
The Shami situation, particularly given his impressive return of 24 wickets in seven matches during the 2023 World Cup, could become another test of the balance of power between the selectors and the head coach. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, the upcoming squad selections could offer a clearer indication of whether the selectors’ faith in the veteran pacer will translate into an India comeback or whether the team management will continue to look beyond him.
