Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore) Former India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has commented on Mohammed Shami’s exclusion from the England series, saying it was due to fitness concerns. However, he did not elaborate on the reason behind Shami’s absence in the upcoming Australia ODI series.Shami’s last international match was the Champions Trophy final. He then played nine matches in IPL 2025 before an injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
‘Virtually impossible to have three captains’: Ajit Agarkar explains why Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain
After a three-month break from cricket, Shami returned to action in the Duleep Trophy, representing East Zone against North Zone. He managed to take only one wicket in 34 overs. Despite expectations of his inclusion in the squad for the Australian ODI series, he was not selected.“The choice is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I should not be playing for Bengal here. I think I don’t need to talk about it and create controversy. If I can play four-day (Ranji Trophy), I can also play 50-over cricket,” Shami told PTI.At the NDTV World Summit on Friday, Agarkar reacted to Shami’s comments.“If he tells me, I will respond to it. When I read what he said, I will call him. I have spoken to him several times in the last few months. If he has said something, that is a conversation for me to have with him,” Agarkar said.“Had he been fit, he would have been on that plane to England. The domestic season has just started and we will see if he is fit enough. We desperately had him on the Australia tour but he was not fit. If he is fit in the next two months, the story may change,” Agarkar added.During the ODI squad announcement, the chief selector mentioned that he had no information about Shami’s situation.Shami responded to this statement.“When it comes to giving updates, it’s not my duty to give updates or ask for an update. It’s not my job to give updates on my fitness. My job is to go to NCA, prepare and play matches,” Shami said.Currently, Mohammed Shami is participating in the Ranji Trophy tournament.
