Team India pacer Mohammed Shami has taken a dig at the Indian team management over his fitness status after being left out of India squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. According to India Today Report, Shami has said that he is match-ready despite not finding a place in the limited-overs teams. The Indian pacer said the communication gap lay with the management and not him.
He said, "The Indian team didn't communicate with me regarding fitness. I am not the one who would inform them about my fitness - they have to ask me. If I can play four-day cricket, then why can't I play a 50-over game? If I wasn't fit, I'd be at the NCA and not playing here in the Ranji Trophy,"
Shami will be representing Bengal in Ranji Trophy team with the first match set to start on October 15, four days before the first ODI in Australia for Team India. After the team for the Test series against West Indies was announced, Agarkar claimed Shami's absence is due to his lack of game time.
He had said, "I have no update. He has played in the Duleep Trophy. But in the last two-three years, he hasn't played a lot of cricket. I think he played one game for Bengal and one in the Duleep Trophy. As a performer, we know what he can do, but he has to play cricket,"
Shami's performance for Team India
The Indian team managements decision to not pick Shami has raised eyebrows especially after hsi performance in the recent Champions Trophy. Shami was the second-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets in the tournament, which India won. Before that, he had put up a record-breaking display of 24 wickets in eight games in the 2023 World Cup where the Men in Blue reached the final. However he was sidelined by knee injury after which he has been trying to make his comeback to Team India
