Mohammed Shami contradicts Agarkar to end rumours: ‘I’m fully fit to play for India. If captain, coach and selectors…'

In a candid statement on his YouTube channel, the 35-year-old seamer stressed that selection decisions are out of his control and rest with the selectors, captain, and coach. However, he reiterated his readiness to don the national colours whenever called upon.

“Whether I get selected or not is not in my hands. The decision of selection is taken by the selection committee, the captain and the coach. If they want to select or give more time, it’s in their hands. But I am ready,” said Shami.

Shami's statement was in contrast to what chief selector Ajit Agarkar said when he asked about the veteran pacer's absence from India's white-ball squads. Agarkar said that there were no fresh updates about Shami while highlighting his lack of recent match practice.

"I don't have an update. I think he has not played a lot of cricket in the last 2-3 years. I think he's played one match for Bengal and one for the Duleep Trophy. So as a performer, we know what he can do, but he will need to play some cricket," Agarkar explained.

The Bengal pacer, who last played for India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, has not featured in the national setup across formats since then. Despite starting that tournament strongly with a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh, Shami went wicketless in two consecutive matches before regaining form with a 3-wicket performance against Australia in the semifinal and one wicket in the final.

Addressing concerns about his match fitness, Shami said his recent domestic outings, including a Duleep Trophy appearance where he bowled 35 overs, prove that he remains in good rhythm and is physically prepared.

“My practice is going well, my fitness is going well. I’ll try to do much better because the more time you spend away from the ground, you need to be motivated more. You have to do more hard work,” he added.

Although his omission from the Australia tour aligns with recent selection trends — with Shami not having played a T20I since February 2025 and a Test since June 2023 — his form and experience remain valuable assets.

Shami picked in Bengali Ranji Trophy squad

In a positive sign for his return to competitive cricket, Shami has been named in Bengal’s squad for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, which begins on October 15. The side will be led by seasoned top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) confirmed on Wednesday.

While a national recall may not be immediate, Shami’s statement makes it clear: he’s not done yet.

With a packed domestic season ahead and the Test series against England in early 2026 looming, Shami’s readiness and form could well bring him back into contention — if the selectors come calling.

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