“What more can a player do?” asked Mohammed Shami’s coach, Badruddin Siddiqui, after his student scalped an nine-wicket haul for Bengal against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani. With the ball, the 35-year-old pacer has been in brilliant form across formats for Bengal, but there has been no talk about his return to the Indian cricket team from the men who matter.

In an exclusive chat with NewsXSiddiqui did not hold back and vented his frustration over his pupil’s continued omission.

“What more can a player do? If someone takes seven or eight wickets in an innings and still isn’t picked, what else is in his control? In India, taking eight wickets is not easy. When a player is consistently performing in the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, what message are we sending if he is still ignored?” he said.

“People talk about fitness, but look at the numbers — over 200 overs in Ranji, 27 overs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and 60–70 overs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The workload is there. The fitness is clearly there. So what exactly is missing?” he added.

According to the coach, what is missing is communication from the selectors and the management. “There is no clear message from the selectors. No one is saying anything — not yes, not no. That silence is what hurts the most. At least tell the player where he stands.”

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said last year that Shami had not played enough cricket to make a return. Since that remark, Shami has responded with strong performances on the field and, moreover, has been a workhorse, bowling long spells in red-ball cricket while completing his full quota of overs in most matches.

“You cannot have two different policies. If you are managing workloads for some players, why not apply the same logic to everyone. This is what looks like a double policy — and that’s difficult to understand,” Badaruddin said.

The coach lauds his student for the kind of mental toughness he has despite facing all the setbacks. “I’ve rarely seen someone mentally as strong as Shami. So many setbacks, so many challenges — and yet not a trace of negative thinking. Honestly, if this had happened to me, I might have broken down. But he keeps going. He keeps performing,” he added.

While the coach is disappointed, the only message he has for Shami is “keep performing”. “That is the only thing in his control — performance. And the whole world is watching. When you talk through performance, people notice,” he noted.

“Of course, a player can feel demoralised. When you’re among the top wicket-takers, performing consistently, and still not getting opportunities — it hurts. But the answer remains the same: keep performing.”

“Look at Ishan Kishan. When he didn’t get a contract, he didn’t complain — he scored a hundred. That’s the only way forward,” he added.

Badruddin feels that in-form players deserve a chance, especially given how India have fared in Tests at home. “We are fans of Indian cricket first. We want the Indian team to win — that’s the ultimate goal. But when in-form players are not given opportunities, particularly in Test cricket where performance is already a concern, it raises questions.”

“In the end, all we can do is hope he continues to perform and stays strong. What else can he do? If he keeps delivering, his time will come,” he concluded.

The post “200 Overs in Ranji Not Enough?” Mohammed Shami’s Coach Slams BCCI Selectors Over India Comeback Delay | EXCLUSIVE appeared first on NewsX.