While Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Ajit Agarkar for easily handling the tenacity shown by Mohammed Shami, he has taken a dig at the BCCI for not giving clarity to players on its decisions and practicing ‘indirect speech’.
The Indian national team is facing some opposition in the form of its own players, as several players have been dropped from selection without any proper reason. One of the most prominent controversies is Mohammed Shami’s derogatory remarks on Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Whereas Agarkar has repeatedly claimed that Shami is not at the top in terms of his fitness and he will be selected in the team when he returns to full fitness. However, Shami has refuted such claims and has proved his fitness time and again.
Ravichandran Ashwin said, “Everything in Indian cricket runs on indirect speech.”
Great Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from the game, but never fails to offer his opinion on the game through his YouTube channel. Recently he had said that there is a big issue in Indian cricket which needs to be resolved.
Referring to the recent anger of Champions Trophy-winning fast bowler Mohammed Shami, he made it clear that everything in Indian cricket runs on indirect speech. He has urged BCCI to clearly convey its views and plans to the players.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin said, “I will say one thing clearly, everything in Indian cricket runs on indirect speech. I really want this to change. It has to change from the players’ side and also from the selectors’ side.”
“But why is he (Shami) saying all this?” -Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin further said that such things come out due to lack of clarity on any issue and it seems that Shami also does not have much clarity regarding his position in the Indian team.
Ravichandran Ashwin said, “I have noticed that if anything is said indirectly, it is sure to be in the news. Look what Shami did. He performed and then spoke in the press conference; there is nothing wrong in that. But why is he (Shami) saying all this? Because he does not have clarity.”
However, despite pointing out Shami’s lack of clarity, he praised Ajit Agarkar, who suggested clarifying the matter after speaking with Shami on a phone call.
“But, at the same time, I really liked the way Ajit Agarkar handled it. I really hope that phone call happened,” Ashwin said.
Will Mohammed Shami be considered for selection after his strong comeback in Ranji Trophy?
Mohammed Shami last played for India during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he took 9 wickets, which is the joint-highest for India with Varun Chakravarthy. Since then, the bowler has been sidelined due to injuries as well as a poor IPL season.
He recently returned to the game with the first round of Ranji Trophy for Bengal. He took 7 wickets in both the innings and led Bengal to a spectacular eight-wicket win over Uttarakhand. Shami recorded figures of 3/37 and 4/38 in the game.
After such a commendable performance, the pressure is back on the Indian selectors ahead of selection for the upcoming home series against South Africa. The 35-year-old player is again in contention for a spot in the national team.
Also read: ‘If India wants to win the World Cup, BCCI should fire Gambhir, Agarkar’: Navjot Singh Sidhu criticizes fake quotes
