Ajit Agarkar finally broke his silence on Mohammed Shami’s angry statement, in which Shami said he was fully fit but still wasn’t included in the team for the Australia tour.
BCCI Chief Selector Agarkar clearly stated that everyone can’t be pleased. This statement was made at the NDTV World Summit 2025, where Agarkar spoke openly about the difficulties of the selection process.
Shami has repeatedly claimed on social media and in interviews that he has an excellent record and years of experience, but he is being ignored due to his fitness.
Agarkar reacted to this by saying that if Shami were fit, he would have been in the team.
The Selector’s Job Is the Toughest
Agarkar, while talking about his career at the summit, explained that among the three roles: player, commentator, and now selector, the role of selector is the most challenging.
He said, “I will probably go with the easier option first. As a commentator, and no disrespect, you work hard, you spend hours on the field.
Until you get your words right, your job is done as a commentator.”
He further described playing day as the most satisfying, but called selection a high-pressure job.
“Playing gives you the most satisfaction. Every time you step on the field, you know your responsibility is on the line. As a player, the only thing you have is the ball or the bat in your hand. As a selector, once you pick the 15, you have no control. It’s a challenging, hectic, high-demand job. You can’t please everyone.”
Saying this, Agarkar also added that cricket is so popular in India that fans and experts question every decision.
“Having so many players to pick from is a good problem to have. It improves the competition levels, and the performance levels stay high.
The sport is so popular in India that there will be people who will be critical of your decisions. The fanbases have increased multiple times over the last few years.”
He also talked about ignoring social media criticism,
“I don’t. It is a no-win situation. We watch a lot of cricket through the course of the year.”
Direct reply to Shami
Agarkar reacted directly to Shami’s statement. He said, if Shami has said anything then it is a matter of private conversation.
“If he says that to me, I will probably answer that. I mean if he was here, I would probably do that. I am not quite sure what he said on social media.
Maybe if I read that, I might give him a call but my phone is always on for all the players. I have had multiple chats with him over the last few months, but I don’t want to try and give you a headline here.”
He then praised Shami’s performance and said,
“He has been an incredible performer for India. If he said something, maybe that’s a conversation for me to have with him or him to have with me.
But even before England, we said if he was fit, he would have been on the plane. Unfortunately, he wasn’t, and our domestic season has just started.”
Agarkar’s stance makes it clear that fitness is a major factor in team selection. Shami was left out of the England tour for this reason as well.
The domestic season has now begun, where Shami will have to showcase his form.
