India’s veteran pacer Mohammed Shami slammed back against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar for the ongoing white ball tour in Australia.
The starting point of the controversy ignited to a higher level when Agarkar said that he lacked updates related to Shami’s fitness during the announcement of the ODI and T20I series squads. Also, he spoke about the speedster’s availability for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy matches.
Shami was the joint leading wicket-taker for India alongside Varun Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy 2025, having claimed 9 wickets in 5 matches.
However, the 35-year-old suffered from an ankle and knee injury after the ODI World Cup 2023, and even after undergoing surgery, he wasn’t prioritized as the key fast bowler.
Ahead of Bengal’s campaign opener against Uttarakhand in Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26, Shami fumed against the selection committee led by Agarkar.
Ajit Agarkar Opens Up About Shami’s Controversy
During the media interaction in Delhi, Ajit Agarkar broke the silence about the ongoing controversy related to Mohammed Shami’s snub from the Australian tour:
“Look! I would have definitely given Shami a perfect answer if he were present here. I would just ask a simple question, whether he was fit enough, then why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami? We were desperate enough to secure his services even for the Australian tour, but his fitness was a worrying factor.
He was indeed a top-notch performer for India. We could have had a conversation before the England tour. As he lacked fitness, domestic cricket also started at that time.
This is the first round of the Ranji Trophy, and there will be a couple of matches as well.
We had multiple chats with each other (referring to the conversation between Agarkar and Shami). In the past six to eight months, what we have observed is that he wasn’t 100% fit. If he had stayed fit for the next few months, the story would have been totally different. But, he wasn’t fit enough to be selected for the England tour that comprised 5-match test series earlier this year,” Agarkar said.
‘Selection Not in My Control’: Mohammad Shami’s Frustration
Having played his last test match for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia, Mohammad Shami told the reporters at the Eden Gardens that the selection was out of his control:
“See! I have said this before. The selection is not in my hands, and if there are any fitness issues, then I shouldn’t have been representing Bengal, and there is no logic at all.
It’s better not to speak more about this and ignite the controversy. If I am eligible to play a 4-day contest, then I should be able to play the 50-overs format as well.
My assignment is to travel National Cricket Academy (NCA), prepare, and play in the matches. It is their matter, and they should provide updates, which does not come under my responsibility,” Shami said.
Shami to Remain Hopeful and Practical During India’s Transition
Mohammad Shami furthermore spoke about Team India’s ongoing transition, saying that he would remain hopeful and practical with his approach:
“Yeah! I always believe that you should choose the best players for your country. It is a matter of pride for the nation to win.
You need to keep fighting and playing games continuously. From my point of view, I can only prepare myself to play matches. So, I don’t have any objection, and if you don’t select me, I will play for Bengal, and there would be no issues to deal with.
At the same time, I don’t want to play with any injury to make my team suffer. All I wanted to do was to return after the operation strongly. I assure you that I am ready to go wherever the selectors want me to go,
The olden days of the Ranji Trophy were highly competitive for everyone. But, in the modern era, it is an insult to force players to play first-class cricket like the Ranji Trophy. And I don’t think this should be the condition to play a four-day cricket match.
Moreover, there is nothing wrong if there is any condition that you should perform well in the Ranji Trophy,” Mohammed Shami added.
Mohammed Shami’s Recent Fitness in Ranji Trophy 2025-26
Proving Ajit Agarkar’s remarks to be false, Mohammed Shami proved his worth as the reliable pace bowler for Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy Elite 2025-26.
He opened up his campaign by claiming 7 wickets against Uttarakhand, which includes his bowling figures of 3/37 in 14.5 overs and 4/38 in 24.4 overs in the first and second innings, respectively.
Overall Verdict From the Controversy
Mohammed Shami voiced his disappointment over his exclusion from India’s squad despite actively taking part in the four-day domestic cricket matches. Most importantly, he criticized BCCI for adding the burden of fitness on players rather than taking any measures to communicate with NCA to rehabilitate the injured players.
Even though India might have found alternatives to fill Shami’s absence in the pace bowling department, his comments point out the displeasure he might have undergone in recent times.
Also, the 35-year-old is said to have not been informed of the exact truth behind his snub from India’s white ball series in Australia, which has already commenced on Sunday (October 19).
Shami’s performance ignites debates against Agarkar’s approach, who had said that he could have selected the Indian speedster for India’s squad only if he were fit enough.
But with Mohammed Shami proving his mettle by bowling fiery spells, the real question is — Did Agarkar snub the talented pacer due to fitness or bias towards other players?