Ravichandran Ashwin praised Ajit Agarkar for dealing smoothly with the tenacity shown by Mohammed Shami, but harshly criticized the BCCI’s practice of not giving clear explanations to players about decisions and the practice of ‘indirect speech’.
The Indian national team is facing a backlash from its own players, with many players left out of selection without proper explanation. One of the most prominent of the controversies is Mohammed Shami’s vile views on India’s Chief Selectman Ajit Agarkar.
Agarkar has repeatedly maintained that Shami’s fitness is not yet at its peak and that once he returns to full fitness, he will be selected in the squad. However, Shami has denied such claims and has proven his fitness time and again.
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“Indian cricket is all about indirect speech,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from the game but never fails to share his views on the game on his YouTube channel. He said that there are big problems that need to be resolved in Indian cricket these days.
He referred to Champions Trophy-winning pacer Mohammed Shami’s recent rant and clarified that Indian cricket is all about indirect speech. He asked the BCCI to clearly articulate its thoughts and plans to the players.
“Let me be frank with you: Indian cricket is all about indirect speech. I really hope that changes. It has to change from both the player’s side and the selectors’ side,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“But why is he (Shami) talking like this?” – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin further added that such abuse stems from a lack of clarity on any issue and Shami too doesn’t seem to have much clarity about his place in the Indian team.
“What I have noticed is that whenever something is said indirectly, it always makes the news. Look at what Shami did. He acted in the press conference and then spoke. There is nothing wrong with that. But why does he (Shami) keep talking like this? Because he has no clarity,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
However, despite pointing out Shami’s lack of clarity, he went on to praise Ajit Agarkar for offering to clarify the issue after speaking to Shami over the phone.
“But at the same time, I really liked the way Ajit Agarkar handled it. I really hope that that call materializes,” Ashwin added.
Will Mohammed Shami be considered for selection after his strong comeback in the Ranji Trophy?
Mohammed Shami last played in Indian colors in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he bagged nine wickets, equaling Varun Chakravarthy for the most in India. Since then, the bowler has been sidelined due to injuries and a poor IPL season.
He recently returned to action for Bengal in the first round of the Ranji Trophy. He picked seven wickets in both innings and led Bengal to a promising eight-wicket win against Uttarakhand. Shami posted figures of 3/37 and 4/38 in the match.
After such a commendable performance, the pressure is once again on the Indian selectors for selection for the upcoming home series against South Africa. The 35-year-old is back in contention for a place in the national team.
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