Be honest with Mohammed Shami: Agarkar, Gambhir told to stop sitting on the fence as Shubman Gill addresses absence

Cheteshwar Pujara urged Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir to be honest with Mohammed Shami amid his ongoing standoff with the BCCI over non-selection.

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara sent a blunt message to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir’s team management, urging them to stop sitting on the fence and have a “clear and honest” conversation with Mohammed Shami about his future in Indian cricket. Pujara’s comment comes amid an ongoing standoff between Shami and the BCCI over his continued non-selection across formats despite his consistent performances in domestic cricket.

India's pacer Mohammed Shami engages in a discussion with Bengal team members during a training session at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium (PTI)

The selectors have recently faced scrutiny for not picking Shami for the two-match Test series at home against South Africa despite the veteran bowler snaring 15 wickets in just three matches for Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

Speaking to the media ahead of the opening Test match in Kolkata, JioStar expert Pujara said: “Someone like Mohammed Shami should be having – I mean, the selectors and the team management should have a very honest conversation with him. What’s the plan going forward? Whether they want to pick him or whether they are looking at the young players."

Pujara, who retired from international cricket in August of this year, said that if the BCCI believes it has moved on from Mohammed Shami and wants to explore younger pace options, the senior bowler should be informed so he can decide on his future in domestic cricket.

“If he is being informed that they are not looking at him, then it is always Shami’s personal call whether he wants to carry on playing first-class cricket, whether he still wants to – I mean, he is part of the IPL as well. So, he would want to carry on playing cricket,” Pujara said.

Speaking along the same lines as the legendary Ravichandran Ashwin, Pujara too called for clarity and transparency in communication between management and the player.

“The communication from the team management has to be very, very clear and it should be very honest conversation and Shami should be part of it,” he added.

Earlier on Thursday, during the pre-match press conference in Kolkata, Gill addressed Shami’s omission from the Indian squad, subtly hinting that the management has moved on. He suggested that Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna are now being considered as the third seamer in the Test setup, alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“There aren't many bowlers of his (Mohammed Shami’s) quality around. But you have to take into consideration the bowlers that are playing right now.

“They have done such a terrific job. You can't ignore the performances of someone like Akash Deep or someone like Prasidh (Krishna).

“We all know what Siraj and Bumrah have been doing in Test cricket. And sometimes, it's very difficult when players like Shami have to miss.

But I think it's important for us to see where we are playing the next series and plan ahead with what kind of fast bowlers that can give us the best chance. Especially when we are touring New Zealand or other foreign countries.”“There aren't many bowlers of his (Mohammed Shami’s) quality around. But you have to take into consideration the bowlers that are playing right now.

“They have done such a terrific job. You can't ignore the performances of someone like Akash Deep or someone like Prasidh (Krishna).

“We all know what Siraj and Bumrah have been doing in Test cricket. And sometimes, it's very difficult when players like Shami have to miss.

But I think it's important for us to see where we are playing the next series and plan ahead with what kind of fast bowlers that can give us the best chance. Especially when we are touring New Zealand or other foreign countries.”