Shami fires back at Agarkar: Let him say whatever he wants to, you’ve seen how I bowled
Pacer Mohammed Shami on Friday claimed that he did not give much importance to chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s latest statement on his fitness status.
Asked about Agarkar’s reported statement at a discussion about the pacer’s fitness, Shami, who is playing for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand, said: “Let him say whatever he wants. You’ve seen how I bowled. It’s all in front of your eyes.”
Earlier on Friday, Agarkar had claimed that the 35-year-old was yet to regain full fitness. “If Shami was here, I would give him an answer. If he is fit, why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami? I have had multiple chats with him. Over the last six to eight months, what we have found out is that he wasn’t fit. He wasn’t fit to be picked for England tour,” Agarkar said during an event in New Delhi.
Shami, who last played for India during the Champions Trophy in February and March, was not picked for the five-match Test series in England. The pacer was also excluded from the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
The Bengal pacer has been vying for a comeback to the Indian team after a knee injury had kept him out of the action for over a year. He made his return last year during the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, and won his place in the ODI and T20I sides for the England series at home and the Champions Trophy in Dubai.
He played nine games in the IPL 2025 season and was back for the start of the domestic during the Duleep Trophy. Despite his inclusion in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad, Shami was not picked for the upcoming series Down Under.
A few days back, Shami had expressed his unhappiness over the snub and said that his responsibility was to play matches, and not send updates to selectors about his fitness.
Published on Oct 17, 2025
