Despite delivering consistent performances in the domestic cricket, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami hasn’t been rewarded with a spot in the squad as he continues to wait for a recall. The veteran pacer has not been seen in Indian colours since the Champions Trophy 2025, where he featured in five games taking nine wickets. 

Since then he has been overlooked by the management, with selectors preferring other bowlers over him. Meanwhile, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan has advised Shami to stick to his guns. 

"It is your decision, the way you want to move forward. If you are playing matches and performing well, you remain available. I see things that way. The team's thinking is different, but your way of thinking is important. If you want to contribute, it is your decision. The way the team is looking at things and what is going on in the scheme of things, sometimes you can analyse how you are thinking. But how can you contribute to that? As a player, you should do what Shami is doing. He is playing. As you said, he is playing matches. That is important," Zaheer told the Times of India.

Time and again Shami’s fitness has been termed as a primary reason behind his absence. However, Shami has proved all this wrong by performing consistently in the domestic cricket. 

"Injuries are part and parcel of the game. They are part and parcel of every individual's journey. You can talk about workload management, but you also need to understand the timing of events. You can see some things, but overall, you have to plan accordingly,” Zaheer said.

“If a fast bowler sustains an injury or goes through a difficult phase, it is very important to control the things in your hands. You have to control them properly. Until you know the root cause, you can't move forward," he said.