Bengal Coach Backs Shami, Says Performance Speaks Louder Than Selectors’ Approval

Bengal Head Coach Takes a Dig at Ajit Agarkar, Backs Mohammed Shami

When veteran pacer Mohammed Shami delivered a clinical five-wicket haul to steer Bengal cricket team to a commanding 141-run victory over Gujarat cricket team in the Ranji Trophy, his head coach, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, made a pointed remark: “Mohammed Shami doesn’t need anyone’s certificate.” The comment, seen as an indirect swipe at Ajit Agarkar — the chairman-selector of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — arrived amid swirling questions about Shami’s omission from recent national squads and ongoing scrutiny of his fitness and form. Shukla’s praise was unequivocal: Shami, he said, was his own certificate, his performance speaking for itself. Shami’s match-winning display, 5 for 38 in the second innings and a match haul of eight wickets, followed his earlier four-wicket effort in the first innings and reinforced his case that he remains among the country’s top fast-bowling options. Having made his comeback from ankle and knee issues that cost him nearly a year of action, Shami has quietly amassed impressive numbers in this season’s first two domestic matches, and his rhythm, run-up and reverse-swing remain as sharp as ever, according to observers. The coach’s remark, while meant to salute Shami, also underscored the tension between player and selectors. Earlier this month, Agarkar had publicly questioned Shami’s availability and readiness for international duty, prompting the pacer to respond that informing selectors of his business was not his job. Shukla’s statement, therefore, is read as a strong message: the media, fans and perhaps even the selectors should rely more on what Shami delivers on the field than verbal assurances. Shami himself stayed focused after the win, thanking his team, acknowledging his fitness, and stressing his motivation to play at the highest level again. He said each time he steps onto the pitch for Bengal it is special and that his job is to perform; what follows is in the hands of those who pick. Importantly, Shami highlighted how the innings was a team effort and that his role was only part of the victory. The match itself marked Bengal’s first win over Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy in more than two decades, and Shami’s late burst shaped that outcome on a sluggish surface at the Eden Gardens. Stats bear out his quality: in just four innings this season he has picked up fifteen wickets at an average of barely 10.46, placing him among the tournament’s leading wicket-takers. Even veteran commentators noted that on a track offering little help, delivering a spell like his demonstrated both skill and determination. Still, the discussion remains about whether domestic excellence will translate into further national honours. While the national selectors have reiterated their faith in process and fitness benchmarks, Shami’s supporters view his form as hard proof that the veteran fast-bowler remains more than capable at the highest level. Shukla’s public backing may bolster Shami’s cause, but ultimately it will be those performances, over and again, that decide his fate. As the domestic season continues and India gears up for upcoming home Tests, all eyes will remain on Shami: the bowler who said little but let the wickets speak and whose coach declared that no certificate was needed when the evidence was clear