It's All in Front of Your Eyes: Mohammed Shami Has a Message for the Selectors:

There are moments in sports when the tension between a player and the management, usually kept behind closed doors, spills out into the open. That's exactly what just happened with veteran Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami.

After being sidelined from the national team over fitness concerns, Shami has fired back, not just with his performance on the field, but with some choice words for Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar.

The controversy began when Agarkar was asked about Shami's absence from the upcoming tour of Australia. Agarkar explained that despite having conversations with the pacer, the selection committee felt he hadn't been fit for the last six to eight months. He posed a rhetorical question: "If he is fit, why would we not have a bowler like Shami?" essentially placing the ball in Shami's court to prove his fitness.

Well, Shami did just that.

Turning out for his state side, Bengal, in a Ranji Trophy match, he didn't just participate; he put in a marathon effort. Bowling over 30 overs in the game, he looked sharp, aggressive, and, most importantly, fit. He picked up seven wickets in total, including a fiery spell where he took three wickets in a single over to demolish Uttarakhand's tail-end. It was a classic Shami performance—relentless and effective.

With that performance as his proof, Shami was ready to respond when the media asked him about Agarkar's comments.

Instead of a diplomatic, predictable answer, Shami was direct. "Let him say whatever he wants," he said after the match. "You have seen how I bowled. It is all in front of your eyes."

The message couldn't have been clearer. Shami is essentially telling the selectors to look at the evidence. His point is simple: a bowler who isn't fit can't get through long, demanding spells in a multi-day domestic game and still be effective.

This public clapback is rare in Indian cricket, where players often avoid confronting selectors openly. But for a seasoned campaigner like Shami, being publicly questioned about his fitness was clearly a line that was crossed. He has now made his stance crystal clear—first with his bowling, and then with a statement that leaves no doubt about how he feels. The ball is now, once again, back in the selectors' court.