End of road for Mohammed Shami? Agarkar explains Test snub and the path back
End of road for Mohammed Shami? Agarkar’s update after West Indies Tests snub
Mohammed Shami missed out again as India named a 15-man squad for the two-Test home series against West Indies. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s message was blunt but consistent: selection for Tests requires recent red-ball cricket and proven match fitness. Until that happens, a recall is unlikely.
Agarkar’s stance on Shami
Agarkar reiterated that Shami has not played enough first-class cricket in the past two to three years and needs to “play something” to be considered. The veteran quick last featured in a Test in 2023 and has battled injuries since, including ankle surgery after the 2023 ODI World Cup. He returned to white-ball cricket in 2025, but the rigours of five-day cricket are a different challenge.
“I don’t have an update [on fitness]. He hasn’t had a lot of cricket. In the last two-three years, maybe one for Bengal and one in the Duleep Trophy. As a performer, we know what he can do. But he has to play cricket.”
That is not a retirement hint, just a roadmap: demonstrate volume and durability in red-ball games—Ranji, Duleep, India A—then re-enter the queue.
Why Shami was left out now
First-class volume: Minimal multi-day match time since 2023.
Fitness confidence: Selectors want evidence that Shami’s body can carry four to five days of load again.
White-ball vs red-ball: White-ball returns don’t automatically translate to five-day readiness.
Shami remains one of India’s finest Test seamers (229 wickets in 64 Tests), but the selection bar for a comeback is clear and non-negotiable.
Jadeja vice-captain; Pant out, SA in sight
Ravindra Jadeja has been named vice-captain for the West Indies series. Rishabh Pant, India’s Test vice-captain, is still rehabbing a foot fracture but is expected to return for the home Tests against South Africa in November. Agarkar called Jadeja “one of your top performers” and confirmed there is no planned rest for Jasprit Bumrah, who is fit and available for both Tests despite the short turnaround from the Asia Cup.
India’s pace roadmap for this series
With Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leading the attack and Prasidh Krishna offering bounce and hard lengths, India have opted for an in-form, available trio backed by a fast-bowling all-rounder (Nitish Kumar Reddy). The spin core—Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav—provides control and wicket-taking variety at home.
Schedule: West Indies now, South Africa next
West Indies Tests: Oct 2–6 (Ahmedabad), Oct 10–14 (Delhi)
South Africa tour of India: Two Tests (Kolkata, Guwahati, Nov 14–26), followed by 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is, ending Dec 19
India’s 15-man squad (role-wise)
Role | Players |
|---|---|
Captain | Shubman Gill |
Vice-Captain | Ravindra Jadeja |
Wicket Keeper | Dhruv Jurel, N Jagadeesan |
Batter | Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal |
All-Rounder | Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy |
Bowler | Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav |
What Shami can do from here
Target Ranji and India A games: Build overs, prove back-to-back durability.
Communicate availability early: Align fitness blocks with selection windows.
Use white-ball windows smartly: Keep rhythm, but prioritise red-ball load if Tests are the goal.
The door isn’t closed. But the path is narrow and demands match evidence. For now, India move forward with a fit, role-balanced attack while Shami charts the long way back.