"What more do you expect from me?"- Mohammed Shami rips apart Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's management in 2019 and 2023

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami criticized the team management for not giving him consistent opportunities in World Cups despite his standout performances. Mohammed Shami also expressed confusion over not getting a chance in the semi-final of the ODI World Cup in 2019, despite his brilliant performance.

Mohammed Shami struggled to secure a place in Team India's playing XI during the last three ODI World Cups. The right-arm pacer played only 18 out of 28 matches in these events. Shami is the leading wicket-taker for India in ODI World Cups with 55 wickets, ranking third among Asian bowlers and fifth overall.

I Didn't Play In The First Few Games - Mohammed Shami

Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show Unplugged, Mohammed Shami expressed disappointment at being overlooked by the team management despite his standout performances. Shami questioned why his impressive record wasn't enough to secure a regular spot in the playing XI.

“In 2019, I did not play the first 4–5 games. In the next game, I took a hat trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul, and then four wickets in the next game. A similar thing happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets, and then a five-wicket haul again,” Shami told Shubhankar Mishra.

“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me? I neither have questions nor do I have answers,” he added.

“I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. Played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” he further added.

Mohammed Shami was benched for the first four group matches in both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. In 2019, under Virat Kohli’s captaincy and Ravi Shastri’s coaching, the Bengal pacer took a hat-trick in his first game against Afghanistan. He then bagged a five-wicket haul against the eventual champions, England.

However, Shami was benched for the final group game against Sri Lanka despite taking 14 wickets in four matches in the 2019 ODI World Cup. He also did not make it into the playing XI for the semifinal match against New Zealand. The Indian team lost the semifinal by 18 runs as they failed to chase down 240 runs.

In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Shami was the top wicket-taker with 24 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls. India finished as runners-up after losing to Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He has been out of action since the World Cup. The 33-year-old has resumed bowling in the nets, but his return to competitive cricket has not been officially confirmed.

Also read: Rohit Sharma targets Sourav Ganguly's record; Virat Kohli nears historic milestone in Sri Lanka ODIs