Mohammed Shami and Ajit Agarkar (Photo Agency) Pacer Mohammed Shami has reacted to chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s comments about his fitness after a brilliant performance in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand.Controversy emerged after Shami’s exclusion from India’s ODI squad for Australia, leading to a fallout between the pacer and the chief selector.
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“Let him say what he wants. You saw how I bowled. It’s all in front of your eyes,” Shami told reporters at the Eden Gardens at the end of the third day of play.Commenting on the situation on Friday, Agarkar expressed his openness to including Shami in the squad once he fulfills the fitness requirements.“If Shami was here, I would have given him the answer. If he is fit, why don’t we have a bowler like Shami?” Agarkar asked.“I have had a few talks with him. In the last six to eight months, we have come to know that he is not fit. If he stays fit in the next few months, it may be a different story, but he was not fit for selection for the England tour,” Agarkar said.Shami proved his mettle in the Ranji Trophy opener by picking up crucial wickets for Bengal. He ended Uttarakhand’s first innings by claiming three wickets in a single over to give his team a first innings lead.
Ranji numbers for Mohammed Shami:
- Number of matches: 90
- Goals: 340
- Best bowling in an innings: 7/79
- Best bowling in the match: 11/151
- Bowling Average: 27.31
- 5 goals: 12
- 10 goal match: 2
His impressive form continued in Uttarakhand’s second innings where he picked up four wickets. His victims included captain Kunal Chandela, who scored 72, along with Abhay Negi, Janmejay Joshi and Rajan Kumar.The performance seemed to question Agarkar’s stance on Shami’s fitness, which is the reason for his non-selection.Ahead of this match, Shami expressed his disagreement with the BCCI selectors’ explanation. He claimed his participation in the four-day games contradicted their fitness concerns.
