On Mohammed Shami's Exclusion, Ex-India Batter's Big Remark: "Don't Think Age Is The Criteria"

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors continue to ignore Mohammed Shami despite the pacer's impressive performances in domestic cricket as well as the Indian Premier League. The 36-year-old veteran fast bowler could not find a place in the 16-member squad announced by the BCCI for the two-match Test series in New Zealand. Given that Bhuvneshwar Kumar has made a comeback to the T20I team ahead of the New Zealand series, former India batter Abhinav Mukund said that age is not a criterion for Shami's exclusion.

"India have a pool of fast bowlers they are working with. And there must be reasons for the non-selection of Mohammed Shami. I don't think age is the criteria. If age was the criteria, Bhuvneshwar Kumar wouldn't have made it back to the T20I setup. There is a reason that the CoE and the Indian team selectors have for not picking Shami in this side," Mukund told Cricinfo.

Shami, who has picked up 229 wickets in 64 Test matches, last played for India in the format in June 2023.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj are back for the red-ball matches against New Zealand. The presence of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna gives India a pool of five pacers.

"Akash Deep is a very good selection again. Coming back from injury, he is a very good red-ball bowler. Anshul Kamboj has had a few impressive moments. And that's why I think he makes it in the ODI squad as well. And he's bowling slightly quicker than what we saw of him in that one Test alone in England. This is possibly his first full series. I don't think he'll get an opportunity. But I think it's the right selection call moving forward," Mukund said.

Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan and Saransh Jain, who all featured in India's last Test squad against Sri Lanka, have been dropped for the New Zealand series.

India's Test squad vs New Zealand: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.

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