Out of favour India cricket team pacer Mohammed Shami has ended the silence on his snub from the squad for the IND vs AUS ODIs, saying that the matter wasn’t on his hands. The bowler, who last played for the Men in Blue in the Champions Trophy 2025, has remained out of the scheme of things of the selectors, with his fitness playing a major role in his exclusion. Shami has stated that while his fitness wasn’t a problem, he will continue to work hard in domestic cricket in order to make a comeback on the big stage.
Shami dispels aspersions on his fitness
In a video on his YouTube channel, Shami stated that the decision to leave him out from the ODI side was that of the selectors, coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill. He said that he is ready to return to international cricket and is practicing hard, noting that he did not know if the management felt that he wasn’t ready yet.
“There have been many rumors and memes. People want to know my opinion on the non-selection for the Australia series. I will just say that getting selected is not in my hands; it’s the job of the selection committee, coach, and captain. If they feel I should be there, they will select me, or if they feel some more time is needed, it’s in their hands. I am ready and practicing,” Shami said.
Shami hasn’t been at his best since he made his comeback to international cricket earlier this year. While he has arguably been one of the most lethal white-ball bowlers for India, it simply isn’t the case this year. In 11 ODIs that he has been a part of since his comeback, he has managed to pick 11 wickets, averaging 30.63. Two of those came against England, and the remainder in CT 2025 (5 vs BAN, 3 vs AUS and 1 vs NZ).
It was then followed by a sub-par IPL 2025 season where he managed to pick just 6 wickets from 9 matches for SRH. Shami, who by then came under scrutiny for his fitness, inability to bowl at consistent pace and length, was left out of India’s squad for the England Tests and subsequently India A’s squad for the multi-day games against Australia A. In Duleep Trophy, he managed to take just one wicket for East Zone while conceding 136 runs.
“My fitness is also good. I will try to do better because when you are away from the ground, you need to remain motivated. I played in the Duleep Trophy. I felt very comfortable, my rhythm was good, and I bowled around 35 overs. There are no issues with my fitness,” Shami addedd.
