Ravi Shastri, the former India all-rounder and head coach, said that Mohammed Shami had another 30-40 Test wickets in him and deserved another go in the whites.
Shastri's comment came a day after Shami announced his retirement from Tests. The pacer, who plays for Bengal in domestic cricket, called time on his red-ball international career after playing 64 Tests, returning with 229 wickets.
The former India head coach also said that Shami perhaps should have been part of the squad for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand, beginning November 19.
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“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,” Shastri told the broadcaster on Saturday ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand.
“He should have played in the last 12 months and perhaps should have been on this tour as a Test match bowler. Unfortunately, it is his call; he made up his mind. He still had something to offer,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“He should have played in the last 12 months and perhaps should have been on this tour as a Test match bowler. Unfortunately, it is his call; he made up his mind. He still had something to offer,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Shami was a key member of the Test team coached by Shastri and captained by Virat Kohli. The speedster was a part of the famed pace quartet comprising Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, taking wickets across the world.
Shami's best figures in Tests were 6/56, coming against Australia in Perth during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His last appearance in Tests came in 2023 in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval.
He has been performing consistently for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the past few years. However, he didn't get a call-up to the Test squad. His last appearance for India came last year during the Champions Trophy win.
Last year, Shami and the former chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, had a public falling out. When asked why Shami was overlooked for the West Indies Tests, Agarkar questioned the speedster's fitness, to which Shami replied that if he hadn't been fit, he wouldn't have been playing Ranji Trophy.
Shastri lashed out at the fitness criteria, echoing Shami's sentiment, saying the pacer's appearances in domestic cricket put all concerns to rest.
"I feel there was a lot more in him, and I am entitled to my opinion. 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?" Shastri questioned.
Shami, 36, might have called time on his Test career, but he will continue to be available for the white-ball formats. The big dream for the pacer would be to make the squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be played in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Shastri reckons that if Shami remains fit and performs well in the next IPL, he could be in the running to make the 15-member World Cup squad.
"If he's in good form and has a good IPL, and one of your senior bowlers suddenly breaks down, you'll be looking for experience. But you've got a man there," Shastri said.