In New Delhi, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has directly responded to the recent criticism from pace spearhead Mohammed Shami, who was notably left out of India’s white-ball squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. Agarkar specifically addressed Shami’s public comments regarding his fitness and his appearances for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.
Ajit Agarkar addressed Mohammed Shami’s comments regarding his fitness and availability for Bengal in Ranji Trophy matches. (Image credit: Agencies)
Shami, whose last appearance for India was in the Champions Trophy where he was the country’s joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakravarthy, has been managing persistent ankle and knee injuries, which necessitated surgery following the 2023 World Cup. The fast bowler had openly expressed his disappointment with the selection decision, asserting that his participation in the Ranji Trophy should have unequivocally demonstrated his fitness, and that it was not his duty to constantly update the selection committee on his physical condition.
Responding to these remarks, Agarkar stated: “If he says that to me directly, I will probably answer that. I mean, if he was here, I would address it. I’m not entirely sure what he said on social media. Perhaps if I read his comments, I might give him a call. However, my phone is always open for most players, and I’ve had numerous conversations with him over the past few months. I don’t want to create headlines with my response here.”
Agarkar further elaborated on the situation: “He has consistently been an exceptional performer for India. If he has conveyed something, perhaps that’s a conversation for me to have with him, or for him to have with me. But even prior to the England tour, we made it clear that if he was fully fit, he would have been on that flight. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Our domestic season has just commenced, so we will observe if he can maintain his fitness, and we’ll take it from there. The first round of Ranji games is currently underway. We will assess his performance in a couple more matches. If he’s bowling well, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t want a player of Shami’s caliber. However, what we’ve observed over the last six to eight months, even leading up to the Australia tour, is that while we were eager to include him, his fitness unfortunately wasn’t where it needed to be. If he can stay fit over the coming months, the narrative could certainly change. But as things stand, to my knowledge, he wasn’t fit enough for the England tour.”
India’s upcoming tour of Australia, which commences on October 19, comprises three One Day Internationals and a five-match T20I series. This tour will also mark the highly anticipated return of star batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket, their first appearance since the 2025 Champions Trophy final back in March.