IND vs AUS: "What he said on social media…"- Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on Mohammed Shami's dig at BCCI

Mohammed Shami took a dig at BCCI selectors for snubbing him from the team for India’s tour of Australia 2025.

Indian Cricket Team’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar has responded to Mohammed Shami’s recent dig at Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Indian pacer lashed out at selectors after he was not picked for India’s tour of Australia 2025, saying that he is 100% fit.

Shami last played for India during ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in March, where he finished as the team’s joint highest wicket-taker with Varun Chakravarthy. Since then he has been overlooked by the selectors and it has raised many questions over his snub. In test cricket, his last match was ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final between India and Australia in June 2023.

Shami was not picked for the England tour due to his fitness issues, as the latter has battled recurring ankle and knee injuries since ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He also underwent surgeries for those injuries.

After the right-arm pacer was not picked for India’s white-ball series against Australia over fitness concerns, he said that his availability for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2025-26 proves his fitness, and it’s not his job to update selectors about the same.

I have had multiple chats with Mohammed Shami over the last few months: Ajit Agarkar

Speaking at NDTV World Summit, Agarkar responded to Shami’s comments, saying that he had multiple talks with him over the last few months.

“If he says that to me, I will probably answer that. I mean if he was here, I would probably do that. I am not quite sure what he said on social media. Maybe if I read that, I might give him a call but my phone is always on for most players. I have had multiple chats with him over the last few months, but I don’t want to try and give you a headline here,” said Agarkar.

Agarkar also termed Shami an incredible performer for India. Moreover, he also clarified that selectors were keen to have him for the Australia tour, however, he wasn’t fit enough. Agarkar recalled that Shami was not fit for the England tour as well.

“He has been an incredible performer for India. If he said something, maybe that is a conversation for me to have with him or him to have with me. But even before England, we said if he was fit, he would have been on that plane. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Our domestic season has just started so we will see if he is fit enough and we will see where it goes. This is the first round of Ranji games that is going on. We will find out in a couple of more games,” he said.

If he is bowling well, why would you not want to have someone like a Shami. But what we have found in the last six-eight months to a year, even during the Australia tour, we were desperate to have him on, but unfortunately his fitness wasn’t there. If he does stay fit over the next few months, the story might be different. But at this point, as far as I know, he wasn’t fit enough for that England tour,” he added.

Meanwhile, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna India’s pace department for the ODI series against Australia. The opening game of the three-match series will take place on Sunday, October 19 at Perth Cricket Stadium in Perth.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.