Despite being far away from the hustle and bustle of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Kolkata, Mohammed Shami still ensured that he became the talking point of India's cricketing fraternity one more time on Tuesday. The senior pro’s career-best figures of 22.1-3-90-8 for Bengal against Jammu & Kashmir in a Ranji Trophy semi-final was simply sensational — even by his lofty standards — though it’s unlikely to change ground realities.

Barely 10 days ago, the BCCI central contract for 2025-26 dropped the 35-year-old from the list — which was understandable as it’s imperative for a cricketer to be part of international cricket in at least one format for the last 12 months to figure in it. The last time Shami put on an India jersey was the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, where he picked up nine wickets in five games to emerge as the highest wicket taker on India's way to the title.

It’s difficult to say what transpired thereafter to keep Shami — a class act who just needed a little cotton-woolling to prolong his career — out of the discussion altogether. There must be some lesson in the way Cricket Australia has been trying to manage the careers of the........

© National Herald