'He has not played a lot of cricket in the last 2-3 years.'
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar has shared his thoughts on veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and young batter Ishan Kishan, stressing the importance of game time for both players before they can be considered for regular selection.
Regarding Shami, Agarkar admitted there were no fresh updates but highlighted his lack of recent match practice.
'I don't have an update. I think he has not played a lot of cricket in the last 2-3 years. I think he's played one match for Bengal and one for the Duleep Trophy. So as a performer, we know what he can do, but he will need to play some cricket,' Agarkar told journalists in Dubai.
On Kishan's inclusion in the Irani Trophy squad, Agarkar said: 'When we picked India A, he was not yet fit. He's fit now. He's a very good player, but we'd like him to play a bit more cricket and show some performances.'
Agarkar announced a 15-member team for the home Test series against the West Indies, scheduled to begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad.
The Indian team will play the Asia Cup final on Sunday, September 28, giving Captain Shubman Gill and a few other players just a few days before joining the Test squad.
The selectors' decision to go with a strong line-up reflects India's intent to keep up a strong World Test Championship campaign.