Overview
- The India captain named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna as ahead of Mohammed Shami in the current pecking order and emphasized planning for future series.
- The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel left Shami out of the squad for the South Africa Tests despite his return to domestic cricket for Bengal.
- Reports say selectors and support staff have fitness concerns for the demands of Test cricket and urged Shami to prove match readiness with India A, which he declined while building workload.
- Shami has taken wickets for Bengal, including a recent five-for, though reports note shorter spells and a drop in average speed compared with his pre-injury peak.
- Shami publicly insisted he is fit and will continue playing domestically, while selectors prioritize long-term fitness and workload management for upcoming tours and tournaments.