'Offer some clarity to Mohammed Shami' - Ex-teammate urges Ajit Agarkar to have honest conversation with senior pacer

Published - 14 Nov 2025, 12:35 IST | Updated - 14 Nov 2025, 13:07 IST

Former cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara feels that India pacer Mohammed Shami deserves to be provided with role clarity by the team selectors regarding his future. The BCCI has pointed to fitness and workload issues, with Shami not having featured for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Pujara felt Shami should be communicated whether he is being kept in the mix for the future or whether the chief selector Ajit Agarkar wants to shift his focus towards the youngsters like Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna.

“Someone like Mohammed Shami should be having – I mean, the selectors and the team management should have a very honest conversation with him. What’s the plan going forward? Whether they want to pick him or whether they are looking at the young players," stated Pujara, as quoted by India Today.

Shami's ex-teammate reiterated his point and said that if the team management makes it clear that they are not wanting to include Shami due to whatsoever reason, the latter can focus on making other decisions related to his cricketing career and even beyond. The Rajkot-born wants the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to have an honest communication with the Bengal cricketer.

“If he is being informed that they are not looking at him, then it is always Shami’s personal call whether he wants to carry on playing First-Class cricket, whether he still wants to – I mean, he is part of the IPL as well. He would want to carry on playing cricket. The communication from the team management has to be very, very clear and it should be a very honest conversation and Shami should be part of it,” he added.

The Amroha-born has kept himself busy in First-Class cricket with Bengal in the ongoing 2025-26 season of the Ranji Trophy. As of now, he has bowled 93 overs and has picked up 15 wickets in five innings at a strike-rate and economy of 37.20 and 2.50, respectively. Bengal have the most points after four rounds of the tournament, and Shami has played a huge rule in it.

Speaking of Test cricket in particular, the right-arm pacer's last involvement with India dates back to the final of the 2021-23 cycle of the World Test Championship. Despite recovering from several injury setbacks, he has not been included in the red-ball side since quite some time.