NEW DELHI: In the midst of the growing tension between the BCCI selection committee and Mohammed Shami, former South Africa pace great Dale Steyn has delivered a blunt assessment of the India fast bowler’s future. Steyn, speaking on JioHotstar during the lunch break of the first India–South Africa Test in Kolkata, revealed that he once “begged” for Shami’s inclusion when he served as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling coach — a request that was ignored at the time.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“When I was the bowling coach of SRH, I said ‘please, can we somehow get Mohammed Shami?’ And the moment I wasn’t the coach, they got him,” Steyn said, adding, “I would be disappointed if they lost him.” But his tone shifted when asked about the veteran’s immediate prospects. With Shami battling recurring injuries and as a 35-year-old pacer, Steyn suggested the road ahead could be challenging.
“Fitness and form play a key role in the IPL, especially with bowlers. You want bowlers to be fit, you want them to fire,” Steyn explained. He acknowledged Shami’s recent domestic success — 15 wickets in three Ranji games — but cautioned that teams often look beyond past performances. “If Shami is fit and firing, he will make any team. But if he’s struggling… teams would say there are other players. You were good a year and a half ago, but not right now. That release might happen.”Shami, bought for Rs 10 crore at last year’s IPL mega auction, had an underwhelming 2025 season with just six wickets in nine matches. SRH are now reportedly considering trading him ahead of Saturday’s retention deadline.India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that dropping Shami for the South Africa Test series was emotionally difficult. Speaking ahead of the Eden Gardens Test, Gill said, “Not many bowlers are of his quality… Sometimes it’s difficult for players like Shami bhai to miss out.”With selection uncertainties, franchise doubts and fitness concerns converging at once, Steyn’s dramatic verdict underscores the crossroads at which Mohammed Shami’s storied career currently stands.
