'Shami would have definitely been in the team if he was fit, he should have talked to me in person'

NEW DELHI: BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has responded to the recent criticisms made by Indian pacer Mohammed Shami against the selection committee. Shami had earlier said that he wouldn't be playing for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy if he had any fitness issues and that it was not his job to inform the selection panel about his fitness updates. Shami made the remarks after being left out of India's ODI and T20I squads for the Australia series.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025, Agarkar clarified that if Shami had been fit, he would have been part of the team.

“If he had talked to me in person, I would have replied to him. I don’t know what he said on social media. My phone is always on for all players. I’ve spoken to him several times over the last few months, but I don’t want to create any controversial headlines,” Agarkar said.

Responding further, Agarkar said, “Shami has been one of India’s top performers. If he has said something, it’s better that he tells me directly or I speak to him. Even before the England series, we had said that if he was fit, he would have been in the team. Unfortunately, he wasn’t fit at that time.”

After the 2023 World Cup, Shami underwent surgery for ankle and knee injuries, which kept him out of action for a long time. He last represented India during the Champions Trophy triumph, where he was India’s joint-highest wicket-taker along with Varun Chakravarthy. India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against Australia, starting October 19.