“They never reached out to me about my fitness” - Mohammed Shami slams Ajit Agarkar & selection committee for his non-selection for Australian tour

Indian star pacer Mohammed Shami has revealed that he was never contacted by the Indian team regarding his fitness, adding that when he has played four-day cricket, he has the capacity to play 50-over cricket as well.

Furthermore, he questioned the selectors for the reason behind his non-selection for the forthcoming Australian tour, scheduled to start on Sunday, October 19. He also added that if he is unfit, he would have been at the NCA instead.

“The Indian team never reached out to me about my fitness. It’s not my job to update them — they should be the ones to ask. If I can play four-day cricket, then why can’t I play a 50-over game?. If I was unfit, I’d be at the NCA, not playing in the Ranji Trophy,” Shami told the media persons.

For the unversed, Shami would be plying his trade for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season under the captaincy of Abhimanyu Easwaran. They will take on Uttarakhand in the first round of the campaign, starting on Wednesday, October 15.

After announcing the Indian limited-overs squads, the chief selector Ajit Agarkar had stated that he doesn’t have any updates on Shami’s fitness, adding that he didn’t play enough cricket in the last couple of years. He also reckoned that Shami needs to get more matches under his belt. 

“I don’t have any new updates. He featured in the Duleep Trophy, but over the past couple of years, he hasn’t played much cricket. I think he had one game for Bengal and another in the Duleep Trophy. We all know his ability, but he needs to get more matches under his belt,” Agarkar had said.

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