Mohammed Shami’s omission from India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan feels like a strong indication that the selectors have moved on from the veteran pacer. The experienced fast bowler last represented India during the Champions Trophy last year and has since been working hard to regain full match fitness. Shami even returned to domestic cricket, featuring in the Ranji Trophy in an attempt to push his case for a comeback in the red-ball setup, but the call-up never arrived.
With India now focusing heavily on building a younger core across formats, opportunities for senior players appear to be shrinking rapidly. The team management’s current approach clearly points to long-term planning, especially in white-ball cricket, where several young names are consistently backed. Given the direction Indian cricket is heading in, it now seems increasingly difficult for Shami to find a place in the national side again, regardless of the format.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that fitness concerns played a major role in Shami missing out on the squad. Agarkar revealed that the team management does not believe Shami is physically ready for the demands of red-ball cricket yet.
“As far as we have been told, at this point, his body is allowing him to…I know he has played the domestic season this year. But from the information that I have got is that at this point, T20 cricket is what he is sort of ready for. So, there was no discussion regarding his name,” Agarkar said in the press conference.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer launched a strong attack on chief selector Agarkar over the explanation behind Shami’s omission, calling the reasoning “disrespectful” towards a player of his stature.
“It’s rubbish (Ajit Agarkar’s explanation). We are talking about Mohammad Shami, not just any player. It’s disrespectful to Mohammad Shami. You see, this guy is performing, and you say he’s only fit for T20. It’s an excuse. Be clear if you don’t consider him, you, ‘We have overlooked him.’ That would be a fair statement. He is coming after guiding Bengal single-handedly to the Ranji Trophy (season) semi-final, the way he spearheaded the bowling,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
“Disrespectful for Shami’s services for India”
Continuing his criticism, Wasim Jaffer drew a direct comparison between Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, questioning whether the selectors would treat the MI pacer the same way if he returned from injury and faced fitness concerns.
“What if Bumrah gets injured, and he comes back? Would you treat him the same way? Mohammad Shami is in the same bracket. Go and ask any international batter, and they would rank him on top. It’s disrespectful for the services he provided to India,” he concluded.
