Senior India pacer Mohammed Shami responded sharply after being overlooked by the selection committee for the upcoming ODI series against Australia. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, India opted for four frontline fast bowlers—Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana—in the squad.
Shami had only recently made his international comeback earlier this year, his first appearance since the 2023 ODI World Cup. He played in the home series against England and was part of the victorious 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, where he led the pace attack as the lone senior seamer in the XI.
However, an underwhelming IPL season with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) raised doubts among the selectors about his fitness and workload ahead of the England tour. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited similar concerns when questioned about Shami’s omission during the squad announcement press conference in Ahmedabad.
“I have no update. He has played in the Duleep Trophy. But in the last two-three years, he hasn’t played a lot of cricket. I think he played one game for Bengal and one in the Duleep trophy. As a performer, we know what he can do, but he has to play cricket,” Agarkar said (via India Today).
“Team Never Checked On My Fitness” – Shami On AUS vs IND Omission
Mohammed Shami responded by hinting that the team management never reached out to him about his fitness status.
“To get an update, you have to ask for an update. It is not my responsibility to know who gives updates to whom and all that. My responsibility is to go to the NCA, and if you give me matches, I’ll play in those games. It is upto him regarding asking for updates, that is not my responsibility,” Shami told reporters after a practice session at the Eden Gardens ahead of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy opener.
He further pointed out that since he is preparing to play first-class cricket for Bengal, his readiness for white-ball matches should not be in question.
“Memes were about this only now. Once again, selection is not in my hands. If fitness was an issue, I should not be here. So, I don’t think I need to say anything regarding this. If I can play four-day cricket, I can play 50 over cricket as well,” he continued.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
