India vs England: Mohammed Shami misses out on India squad selection, Agarkar explains

The announcement of the new squad for the India tour of England has staged many surprises. The retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were bound to bring about a significant transformation to the side. However, beyond the leadership overhaul and the changes to the batting order, the omission of some names has reverberated louder amid the fraternity and fans. A major part of the cricket fandom could not find any reason why the BCCI has not named Shreyas Iyer in the squad despite an impressive domestic season. Similarly, the omission of Sarfaraz Khan, who was named in the India squad for the BGT, has puzzled many. While not as surprising as Iyer and Sarfaraz, the snub of Mohammed Shami is another strong indicator that India has stepped into a new phase.

BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar talks about the omission of Mohammed Shami from India squad for the India vs England series

Shubman Gill has been named as India's new captain, with Rishabh Pant termed his deputy. Ravi Ashwin in December last year during the BGT, and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma mere days before the India vs England series, the retirements have brought about the end of an era. While the likes of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have remained with the squad amid the overhaul, Mohammed Shami seems to have slipped away despite the absence of any retirement announcements.

Mohammed Shami last played the longer format back in June 2023 at home. Following the red-ball series, Shami emerged as the best bowler for India at the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup. However, this is where Shami picked up the ankle injury that still continues to haunt the seamer. The ankle injury required surgery and kept Shami away from competitive cricket for over a year. While the pacer made a comeback, joining Bengal for a domestic stint, his condition didn't allow the BCCI to pick him in the India squad for the BGT series down under.

While Shami joined India at the ICC Champions Trophy, his return to red-ball cricket seems difficult now. Despite his return to white-ball cricket, the BCCI didn't name the seamer in the India squad for the India vs England Test series. When asked about the omission, the BCCI chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, brought up the point of Shami's fitness. The board isn't confident in Shami's ability to keep up across the five-match Test series in England.

"Yes, we have sort of been in communication with him. He has been trying to get fit for the Test series. I don't think he is fit enough to play five Tests at the moment," Agarkar said.

“I don't think his fitness is where it needs to be. It's just the medical guys who have told us that he has been ruled out of the series. Unfortunately. We were hoping that he would be available for us at some part of the series. If he is not fit at the moment, it's difficult playing the waiting game. We thought we would rather plan with the guys who are available. We wanted to try and pick him. But, at the moment, he is not fit,” he added.