Ajit Agarkar reveals when Mohammad Shami will make a comeback to international cricket

Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has opened up about the prospects of Team India’s premier fast bowler Mohammad Shami’s return to action, as the senior player has been sidelined since the ODI World Cup 2023 final in November.

Shami is on track for a potential return during the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home in September 2024. At the moment, the star pacer of the Indian Cricket Team has been working towards regaining full fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Ajit Agarkar hints at Mohammad Shami's return for Bangladesh Tests

With the first Test against Bangladesh scheduled to start on September 19, Agarkar said that they are hoping for him to be able to make a comeback in the first game. The chief selector revealed that the senior pace bowler has recently resumed training and has begun bowling again, which is a positive step towards his much-awaited comeback in national colours.

Till then, the Indian selectors and the NCA are closely monitoring Shami’s progress to ensure he reaches peak fitness in time to make a significant impact in the home Tests against the Bangladesh Cricket Team.

However, Agarkar stressed that final decisions regarding Shami’s selection for the Test series will depend on his performance in the lead-up and assessments from the NCA.

Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference on July 22: “We more or less know who the guys are, there are some injuries at the moment and hope they will be back up. Shami has started to bowl which is a god sign. The first test against Bangladesh is on September 19. That was always the goal (he was making a comeback by that time). I don't know if that is his timeline for recovery). Whether he can make it back to the squad by that time, I’ll have to speak with the guys at the NCA about that.”

We will need some depth in the bowling department: Ajit Agarkar

Agarkar mentioned that Team India is scheduled to play 10 Test matches before the WTC 2023-25 final, and given that, they are keen on grooming young players during the first-class games to boost their bowling strength.

The Indian chief selector said that Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shami are their first-choice pacers, but the Indian team should have more backups for the future and for that they are looking to groom some youngsters.

He signed off by saying, “There are so many Tests coming. We will need some depth. Bumrah, Shami, Siraj have been around for a while, these are the obvious ones. But there will be some conversation around it. Got a lot of first-class cricket coming up so we can build guys up like that.”

Mohammad Shami enlarged himself in an unwanted controversy

Meanwhile, Mohammad Shami has been in the headlines for the past few days for his controversial remarks on the Pakistan cricket team’s recent struggles. Shami has indirectly targeted the former Pakistan chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq, for selecting players on family grounds.

Actually, the Indian pacer was talking about Inzamam’s nephew Imam-ul-Haq, and it went against him, as the former Pakistan cricketers have been heavily criticizing Shami for not targeting their former captain. Salman Butt and Basit Ali have leaked Shami’s remarks as “dirty hits” and “cartoons and behuda,” respectively.