Though shami

World Test Championship: Ahead of selecting India’s 18-member squad for the five-match tour of England, one of the biggest question marks was whether Mohammed Shami will be available for the trip starting on June 20.

On Saturday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar cleared the air by stating that Shami is not fit for the series, leaving a big void in India’s fast bowling scheme of things in England. Shami’s last Test was the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June 2023, but he hasn’t had a chance to play Tests again.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed at the BCCI HQ that Shami’s fitness issues and inability to be fit for Test match bowling workload meant he missed out on the England tour selection. Agarkar, though, didn’t specify the nature of Shami’s recent fitness setback, which in turn has prevented him from bowling for a longer time.