'Why is he talking all of this?': R Ashwin feels Mohammed Shami hasn't got 'clarity' from selectors, lauds Ajit Agarkar's handling of controversy

India's legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that his former teammate Mohammed Shami's frustration is a result of lack of clarity from selectors about his future. Shami did not feature in any of the white-ball squads for the Australia tour. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025-winning member said that there is lack of communication from selectors and he is fit to play international cricket if he is appearing for the Ranji Trophy games.

Meanwhile, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that he will have a conversation with Shami about it. The 39-year-old is happy with the way Agarkar doused the flames. Ashwin hopes that the phone call happens and Shami was assured by the chief selector.

"I will say one thing frankly, everything in Indian cricket runs on indirect speech. I really wish that it changes. It has to change from both the players' side and the selectors' side as well. What I have noticed is that if something indirect is said, it is bound to come out in the news. Look what Shami did. He performed and then talked in the press conference, there is nothing wrong with that. But why is he talking all of this? Because he does not have clarity. But, at the same time, I really loved how Ajit Agarkar handled it. I really hope that phone call has happened," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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35-year-old Shami let the ball do the talking in Bengal's Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener. He claimed three wickets in the first innings, cleaning up the tail. Then, he took the wicket of Uttarakhand skipper Kunal Chandela and mopped up the tail again. He helped Bengal start their Ranji Trophy campaign with an eight-wicket win.

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Shami a strong contender for South Africa Tests

Shami wasn’t picked for the two-Test series against West Indies at home either. If Shami continues to pick wickets in Ranji Trophy, he will be a strong contender for the upcoming two-Test series at home against South Africa next month. The first of the two Tests will be played at Shami’s homeground, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

What is Shami’s record vs South Africa in Tests?

Shami has a good record against South Africa in Tests. From 11 Tests, he has 48 wickets at an average of 20.93, featuring three five-wicket hauls.