Mohammed Shami had recently taken a dig at the BCCI selectors for snubbing him from the team’s white-ball tour of Australia. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, while speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025 on Friday, has responded to the comment. The fast bowler had said that his availability for Bengal in Ranji Trophy proves he is fit and it is not his job to update the selection panel on this. Shami, who last represented India in the Champions Trophy triumph and finished as the country’s top wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakravarthy, has battled recurring ankle and knee injuries that required surgery after the 2023 World Cup.
“It could be (after the next international break), but we’ll have to see how he progresses, how the knee’s healing, how he manages after the next steps in his rehab, so too early to give an answer,” he added.
Despite Odegaard’s disrupted start to the season and other injuries to Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, William Saliba and Noni Madueke, Arsenal have stormed to the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners lead title rivals Liverpool by one point after seven games as they seek to go one better after finishing third for three consecutive seasons.
Viktor Gyokeres was signed to end Arsenal’s need for a prolific striker.
The Swede, though, has so far scored just three times in 10 appearances and has not netted in his last eight matches for club and country.
Arteta backed the 27-year-old to come good and claimed to have been pleased with Gyokeres’ all-round performances so far.
“He brings so much to the team and watching the games back, I’m very pleased with what he’s given to the team,” added Arteta.
“I told him before the first meeting, ‘the nine that I want is a nine that when he doesn’t score for six or eight games, he can handle that. If not, you have to go somewhere else because the pressure, the expectation is going to be there.’
“If you put the number nine shirt on for Arsenal, you have to be able to say: ‘six games I don’t score, am I different player? Do I act in a different way?’
“I want much more of the same of what he’s doing. Once we have those opportunities, put them in. I’m sure it’s going to happen.”
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