Mohammed Shami’s Test retirement has drawn a sharp reaction from former India coach Ravi Shastri, who has slammed the selectors for repeatedly ignoring the fast bowler — and a warm tribute from bowling coach Morne Morkel, who called it a sad day for Indian cricket.
Shami announced on Friday, November 6, that he was retiring from Test cricket, exactly 13 years after his debut against West Indies at Eden Gardens. The 36-year-old finishes with 229 wickets from 64 Tests at an average of 27.71, including six five-wicket hauls, and he has not played a Test since the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023.
Shastri, who coached Shami through some of his best years, did not hide his frustration. “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,” he said, arguing that Shami deserved a continued run despite his strong domestic fitness and form.
The selectors had made their position clear well before the announcement. When the Test squad for the two matches in New Zealand was named on October 16, it carried five specialist quicks — Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj — and no place for Shami. He was not picked for the India A squads for the three four-day games that served as preparation for that series either.
Morkel struck a different note ahead of the second ODI in Wellington, paying tribute to a bowler he described as highly skilful and a quality presence in the dressing room. “So a sad day to see him go. But yeah, I mean, he’s still bowling a lot of overs back home, and it’s still great to see,” Morkel said, adding that Shami had helped him considerably with the Indian language when he first joined the group. Former India spinner Murali Kartik also hailed Shami’s stellar red-ball career.
Only the longest format is behind Shami. He has made clear he will keep playing white-ball cricket — the IPL and domestic matches — and he has been named in Bengal’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starting November 14, with the occasional four-day game possible if his body allows. He has 206 wickets in 108 ODIs, took 24 of them at the 2023 World Cup as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker at an average of 10.70, and claimed nine more in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where he finished as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia coming into focus, the white-ball door remains open for one of India’s finest fast bowlers — even as the debate over his Test exit continues.
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