"There was no discussion regarding him" - Ajit Agarkar's blunt remark on Mohammed Shami during squad announcement for IND vs AFG series

Published - 19 May 2026, 18:53 IST | Updated - 19 May 2026, 19:27 IST

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the upcoming Test and ODI assignments against Afghanistan. Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, addressed the media after the squads were announced.

One of the questions leading up to the announcement was whether the legendary Mohammed Shami would finally earn a recall to the Indian team. However, the Bengal seamer failed to make it to either of the squads.

Agarkar said that there was no discussion in the meeting among the selectors regarding Shami's recall to the national team. The former India pacer stated that Shami is only physically fit enough to bowl in T20 cricket but not in the longer formats.

"As far as we have been told, at this point, his body is allowing him to play T20s. I know he has played a domestic season this year. But the information that I have got, is that at this point, it's T20 cricket that he is sort of ready for. So, there was no dicusssion regarding him," Agarkar said during the press-conference.

Shami hasn't played for India since the Champions Trophy in 2025. The right-arm seamer finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Men in Blue alongside Varun Chakaravarthy. Since then, he has failed to make a comeback to the side in any of the three formats.

The 35-year-old played a key role in helping Bengal reach the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26. In seven matches, he picked up 37 wickets at an average of 16.72. He also performed well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

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During the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Shami has shown time and again that he is still a lethal bowler when he gets his rhythm going. In 12 matches, he has picked up 10 wickets for the Lucknow Super Giants. He has also been able to disguise his slower balls better than before, allowing him to outfox some top batters. However, it seems that the selectors want more from him before calling him back into the team.