Former selectors Venkat, Banerjee slam Shami’s exclusion

Former national selectors Raja Venkat and Sambaran Banerjee have slammed the current Ajit Agarkar-led committee for leaving out Mohammed Shami fromIndias squad for the two-Test series against South Africa, starting at the Eden Gardens here on November 14. Venkat, 67, feels the pacer, who has claimed 229 wickets in 64 Tests, has got the rough end of the stick. In some cases, Shami is better than even [Jasprit] Bumrah. He should have been in the squad. Hes a match-winner. How can you neglect him? He can swing [the ball] both ways while bowling at 140 kmph. I believe he has got a raw deal. Unfortunately, this is true, Venkat, who was part of the BCCI selection panel from 2008 to 2012, told mid-day on Tuesday.Shami last featured for India at the Champions Trophy in February-March earlier this year. He claimed nine wickets in five games during the victorious campaign. Banerjee, 72, is certain the selection panel have made up their minds against picking the Bengal pacer and says its not the first time that such a thing is happening. The picture is clear to me. The selection committee decided long back that they will drop him [Shami]. It may be because of his age or physical condition. He was good, no one can deny it, but we did the same thing when [former India players] WV Raman, Narendra Hirwani and Ajay Sharma were playing. We decided we wont pick them and we did not, Banerjee explained.