Ajit Agarkar Addresses Mohammed Shami's Public Disappointment: 'If He Says That to Me...'
In a recent development, former Indian cricketer and chief selector Ajit Agarkar has broken his silence on Mohammed Shami's absence from the England and Australia ODI series. Agarkar clarifies that Shami's non-inclusion is due to fitness concerns, contrary to the latter's public disappointment.
Shami's last international appearance was in the Champions Trophy final, followed by a nine-match IPL 2025 run, which ended abruptly due to an injury. After a three-month hiatus, Shami returned to action, playing for the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, where he managed just one wicket in 34 overs. Despite expectations, he wasn't named in the squad for the Australia ODI series, expressing his disappointment publicly.
"If there's a fitness issue, I shouldn't be playing for Bengal," Shami stated, as quoted by PTI. "Selection isn't in my hands. I think I don't need to speak on this and create a controversy. If I can play four-dayers [Ranji Trophy], I can also play 50-overs cricket."
When asked about Shami's outburst at the NDTV World Summit, Agarkar responded, "If he says that to me, I will answer that. If I read what he said, I will give him a call. I've had multiple chats with him over the last few months. If he said something, that's a conversation for me to have with him."
Agarkar further elaborated, "If he were fit, he would have been on that plane to England. The domestic season has just started, and we'll see if he's fit enough. We were desperate to have him for the Australia tour, but he wasn't fit. If he's fit over the next two months, the story might change."
Interestingly, during the ODI team announcement, the chief selector had no update on Shami's fitness status, stating, "It isn't my responsibility to give an update or ask for an update. It isn't my job to give updates on my fitness. My job is to go to the NCA, prepare, and play matches."
This clarification comes amidst Shami's public disappointment, which has sparked discussions about the selection process and the challenges faced by players in the Indian cricket team.
