Mohammed Shami's childhood coach Badruddin Siddiqui has revealed that the veteran fast bowler decided to retire from Test cricket only after concluding that his non-selection for the New Zealand Test series had shut the door on any realistic chance of a recall. Siddiqui, speaking on Saturday, 8 November, said he and Shami's family had repeatedly urged the pacer to hold on, but the 36-year-old eventually made up his mind.

The Moment Shami Lost Hope

Shami announced his retirement from the longer format on Friday night, exactly 13 years after his Test debut against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He ends a distinguished red-ball career with 229 wickets from 64 matches at an average of 27.71, including six five-wicket hauls. He is India's 12th-highest wicket-taker in the format and sixth among fast bowlers.

'See, it was going on for a very long time. But I had stopped him from doing it and told him to wait a little longer. He was getting disturbed a lot for the past one year,' Siddiqui said. 'When he thought that after the New Zealand series, there is no hope left for a recall, he decided to make this announcement.'

Bhuvneshwar's Recall Sparked Brief Hope

Siddiqui disclosed that Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the national side had briefly given the camp reason to feel optimistic about Shami's own chances. 'It seemed to me that when Bhuvneshwar Kumar was given a recall to the T20I team, it was possible that Shami would also get a chance in the New Zealand series, one-day or Test series. But it did not happen, and what can I say now?' he said. Shami had last represented India in any format during the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai in March 2025, following a comeback from an Achilles tendon operation and subsequent knee problems that had sidelined him after the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Coach's Frustration Over Domestic Form Being Ignored

Siddiqui struggled to reconcile Shami's consistent domestic performances with his continued exclusion, pointing to his Ranji Trophy outings for Bengal where he regularly claimed 4-5 wickets and bowled upwards of 20 overs per match. 'When a child like Shami is performing, you said that he is unfit. He played Ranji Trophy and bowled 20 overs — how can he be unfit?' he said.

He argued that India's bowling attack, particularly in white-ball cricket, had been conceding 350-400 runs in ODIs and 250 runs in T20Is, and that an experienced campaigner alongside Jasprit Bumrah could have steadied the younger bowlers. 'Even the coaches who are there, they can't even tell you the things that a person is doing practically. A senior pacer can make the young bowlers understand more. Look at Australia — they are showing trust in their senior fast bowlers, and we are not doing it here,' Siddiqui said.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla Blames Chief Selector Agarkar

Former India all-rounder and Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla — who captained the state side when Shami made his Ranji Trophy debut in November 2010 — went further, holding chief selector Ajit Agarkar directly responsible for the manner in which Shami's Test career concluded. 'More than God, the one below didn't approve of it — mainly Ajit Agarkar,' Shukla said, describing the selector in sharp terms and alleging a pattern of controversial decisions including the removal of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Tests.

Shukla also referenced Ajinkya Rahane's recent remarks about Shami, saying former teammates shared the sense of disappointment. 'No player in the world, no fast bowler, no coach, no batsman can say that the attributes Shami has, it is there in any other bowler,' Siddiqui echoed, citing Rahane's interview in which the former India captain described Shami as the most difficult bowler to face.

What Comes Next for Shami

Siddiqui believes Shami had at least two more years of Test cricket in him, particularly for challenging overseas tours of England, South Africa, and Australia. However, with red-ball cricket now behind him, the focus shifts to white-ball formats. Shami is set to appear for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, beginning with a fixture against Karnataka at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 14 November, followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 'The way he is bowling right now, it doesn't feel like he has been there for so long and is 36. It feels as if he's still bowling as a 26- to 30-year-old and he's absolutely fit,' Siddiqui said.