Shami Refuses to Let the Hunger Fade: ‘You Play for the Badge’

Mohammed Shami turned 36 last week. He has been out of the national selectors’ radar for 18 months. His last Test came against Australia in the World Test Championship final in 2023, and his most recent international appearance in any format was the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.

Following East Zone’s triumph over South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at Chepauk, Shami offered a window into the mindset that has sustained him through a prolonged absence from the international stage. His message was unambiguous. The hunger, he insisted, remains as strong as ever.

“I always say this: you play for the badge. When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn’t matter. If you play for the badge, that hunger will naturally show,” Shami said. “Your willingness to fight only grows when you play with that pride. My mindset is simple: whichever level I get an opportunity to play, I want to make it count and fulfill my responsibility toward the team.”

Shami’s contribution to East Zone’s victory was characteristically understated but consequential. On a Chepauk pitch that offered precious little to the bowlers, he returned 2 for 42 from 16 overs, applying the brakes after East Zone had plundered 708 in their first innings to shut South Zone out on sheer weight of runs.

His wickets came through a masterclass in reverse swing. He trapped Shaik Rasheed in front, then accounted for R Smaran, striking twice to push South Zone onto the back foot. It was disciplined, skilful bowling on a surface that demanded patience and precision rather than raw pace.

The performance came after Shami had bowled in far more favourable conditions during the quarterfinal and semifinal at the Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru, where the ball talked far more willingly.

“I’m always learning, that’s the right word,” he said. “I constantly strive to keep learning. In conditions like these, you can’t expect much conventional swing, and the bounce was quite low. In Bengaluru, conditions favoured the bowlers far more, so coming here was a stark contrast. But that doesn’t mean you stray from your basics.”

“My approach was strictly about sticking to my line and length. I trust my line and length completely, and that’s where I try to create wickets from. And honestly, if you can’t exploit reverse swing in this kind of heat, what’s the point?”

Shami’s role within the squad has evolved with experience. He has become a sounding board for younger bowlers, and that instinct extended even across enemy lines during the final. Mohammed Siraj, toiling through a demanding spell for South Zone, found himself on the receiving end of some mid-match guidance from his former India teammate.

“Whenever I interact with guys I’ve played with or share a good bond with, I focus on their skill,” Shami explained. “In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t quite finding his natural rhythm compared to how he bowled later. I just reminded him that to get back on top, he needed to return to his core strengths. When your run-up and rhythm are in sync, your line and length fall into place automatically. That’s all we were talking about.”

The final marked Shami’s 100th first-class appearance, 64 of which have come in Tests. It also delivered East Zone’s first Duleep Trophy title in 14 years, a drought that had stretched long enough to make the victory feel significant for reasons beyond the personal milestone.

“As far as satisfaction goes, achieving this in my 100th match, and that too in a winning Duleep Trophy final, is special. East Zone has won this after a very long time. Every single boy put his heart and soul into this campaign to get us here. To achieve this in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding,” he said.

Shami was quick to place the achievement in perspective, framing it within a philosophy that has defined his approach throughout a career spanning more than a decade at the highest level.

“As for me, whether it’s your first match or your 100th, it doesn’t matter. The effort and the approach remain exactly the same.”

The words carry weight from a bowler who has spent 18 months watching from the outside, waiting for a recall that has not yet arrived. For now, the badge is enough. The hunger, by his own account, is not going anywhere.

                                               

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