Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan has made a big statement on the future of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami. The former World Cup winner said that it is too early to think that India has moved on from the experienced fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami.
Zaheer Khan believes that the India national cricket team management is currently trying different players to build a stronger squad for the future, so giving chances to young pacers does not mean the senior bowlers would never get the chances at the highest level. Amid this, Sikandar Raza fires warning at Team India, refuses to call Shreyas Iyer’s side favourites.
Zaheer Khan breaks silence on Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami’s India future
Zaheer Khan insisted that he doesn’t think Mohammed Siraj’s and Mohammed Shami’s India dreams have ended with the youngsters being preferred over them across the formats. While Shami has not played for India since February 2025, Siraj recently played in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
However, the former left-arm pacer has suggested both Shami and Siraj stay match-ready because nobody knows when the selectors will call them back. He pointed out that many players have made successful comebacks after being overlooked for a long time.
Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz: “I don’t think so. The thought process is different. I feel that when a new player is given a chance, sometimes the senior players are given a break. I don’t know how they have been communicated to Siraj and Shami. But as a player, you should always be ready and control the controllables.”
Zaheer Khan wants Siraj and Shami to take inspiration from Dinesh Karthik’s case
He recalled how Dinesh Karthik returned to the Indian side after a long gap and proved his worth again. Zaheer explained that Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami may not be at the top of the selectors’ priority list right now, but they are still very much in India’s plans.
He said the important thing for any player is to keep performing consistently and remain match-ready whenever the opportunity comes. Amid this, Mohammad Kaif explains why Harshit Rana enjoys an edge over other Indian pacers.
Zaheer added, “They might not be their priority. But it’s not like the door is closed for you. I don’t think it’s like that. And if it’s not like that, it means you are in the scheme of things. There is no doubt about that. Yes, you should continue doing the rest of the things that are in your hands.”
Zaheer Khan sends strong comeback message to Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami
The former Indian fast bowler also feels the national selectors are looking at players who can contribute in more than one department. Zaheer admitted that the selectors and the team management are preferring the bowlers who can score useful runs nowadays, and that is one reason why younger players like Harshit Rana are getting opportunities.
Zaheer also gave the example of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saying if the T20 World Cup were being played right now, the selectors would seriously think about bringing him back into the national team despite being out of the setup for some time because of the seamer’s remarkable form in IPL 2026.
He signed off by saying, “So, sometimes you try to make choices in that way. So, as a player, what you do with your hands and what you want matter. Whether you want to play cricket or not, whether you want to come back or not—if you want to come back, then you make an effort in that way. Selection is not in your hand, but the players should have such a thought process.”
