Shami's last appearance for India was during the Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in March.
When the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee announced India’s white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of Australia earlier this month, there was a notable omission in it.
Senior pacer Mohammad Shami was overlooked for the tour Down Under, where the Men in Blue will play three ODIs and five T20Is from October 19 to November 8.
Recently, Shami, whose last appearance for India was during the Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in March, ridiculed the selectors for not including him in the Indian cricket team's white-ball tour of Australia.
The 35-year-old claimed that his participation in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal demonstrated his fitness and that it was not his responsibility to inform the selection panel of this.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025 on Friday, Agarkar addressed the remark, saying: “If Shami were here, I would give him an answer. If he is fit, why wouldn’t we have a bowler like Shami?”
“I have had multiple chats with him. Over the last six to eight months, what we have found out is that he wasn’t fit. If he stays fit over the next few months, the story might be different, but he wasn’t fit to be picked for the England tour,” the chief selector explained.
Now, Shami has responded bluntly to Agarkar’s comments regarding his fitness. “Let him say whatever he wants. You’ve seen how I bowled. It’s all in front of your eyes,” he said while speaking to reporters after the third day’s play in the ongoing Ranji Trophy fixture between Bengal and Uttarakhand at the Eden Gardens.
Shami picked up the last three wickets of Uttarakhand’s first innings. He cleaned up the tail in the space of one over to help Bengal bundle out the opposition for 213.
In reply, Bengal racked up 323/10 on the board, claiming a substantial first-innings lead of 110 runs.
Shami also excelled with the ball in the second essay, returning with the figures of 4/38 to wrap up Uttarakhand’s innings for 265.