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On Tuesday, May 19, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced India's squads for the one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which commences right after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
One notable absentee from both squads was Mohammed Shami. The veteran seamer's wait for a comeback in the national team continues, despite impressive performances in domestic cricket for Bengal and for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
When asked about the decision to ignore Shami, Agarkar
said that the 35-year-old is not physically fit enough to play the longer formats. The former India seamer added that there was no discussion regarding Shami in the meeting.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer slammed Agarkar for excluding the legendary pacer. While citing the example of Jasprit Bumrah, Jaffer mentioned that the selectors were unfair to Shami. The cricketer-turned-expert kept Shami in the same bracket as Bumrah, and claimed that the selectors disrespected his contribution to Indian cricket by leaving him out of the side
“It’s rubbish (Ajit Agarkar’s explanation). We are talking about Mohammad Shami, not just any player. It’s disrespectful to Mohammad Shami. You see, this guy is performing, and you say he’s only fit for T20. It’s an excuse. Be clear if you don’t consider him, you, ‘We have overlooked him.’ That would be a fair statement. He is coming after guiding Bengal single-handedly to the Ranji Trophy (season) semi-final, the way he spearheaded the bowling," Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“What if Bumrah gets injured, and he comes back? Would you treat him the same way? Mohammad Shami is in the same bracket. Go and ask any international batter, and they would rank him on top. It’s disrespectful for the services he provided to India," he added.
Shami played 12 matches for the Lucknow Super Giants and picked up 10 wickets. He was particularly impressive with the new ball, causing problems to some of the top batters in world cricket.
