Cheteshwar Pujara has urged the selection committee to be honest with Mohammed Shami as he continues to be excluded from the Test squad. Shami last played for India in a Test match during the 2023 World Test Championship final at The Oval and was not part of the squad for the tour of England this year.
BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, he said the pacer’s fitness and playing time they were not enough to consider him for a place in the side and asked him to play domestic cricket. Shami has since taken 15 wickets in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, but was not counted on for the South Africa series. Speaking to the media ahead of the first Test in Kolkata, Pujara said that the team management and selectors need to have clear communication with pacemakers about the plan moving forward.
“Someone like Mohammed Shami should have – I mean the selectors and the team management should have a very honest conversation with him. What is the plan going forward? Whether they want to pick him or whether they are looking at young players,” Pujara said.
SHAMI SHOULD BE PART OF THE CHAT
Pujara said that if the BCCI has decided to move on from Shami and look at youngsters, then the pacer should be given a message to move forward and assess his options.
“If he is informed that he is not being looked at, then it is always Shami’s personal call whether he wants to continue playing first-class cricket, whether he still wants to – I mean he is also part of the IPL. So he would like to continue playing cricket.”
“The communication from the team management has to be very, very clear and it should be a very honest conversation and Shami should be a part of it,” Pujara said.
Before the first test, Indian captain Shubman Gill said that while Shami’s quality is still therethey cannot overlook the performances of the current crop of bowlers who have thrived during the tour of England. Shami has played 64 Tests so far and has picked up 229 wickets at an average of 27.71.
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Published on:
November 14, 2025
