India strike bowler Mohammed Shami proving a fast learner

Joy Chakravarty 02:27 14/03/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Top gun: Mohammad Shami has taken 12 wickets to emerge as a key player in India’s campaign.

    Mohammed Shami hails from a small town called Sahaspur. Literally translated, the name means ‘Village of the Braves’. It has absolutely no cricketing history, and does not possess even a single cricket club.

    Only a Braveheart like Shami would have dreamt of traversing a journey from such a place to becoming the No1 strike bowler in his country.

    India has always felt the absence of a genuine fast bowler, someone who can touch 145kmph on the radar, and yet have the ability to make the ball talk. The soft-spoken Shami is the answer.

    There is a remarkable transformation in the Indian bowling attack in this World Cup after struggling in every format of the game during the bilateral tour of Australia and the Tri-series.

    While every member of the bowling unit has risen to the occasion, there is no denying the fact Shami is leader of the pack. In four matches of the World Cup that he has played – he missed out against the UAE in Perth with a knee injury – Shami has taken 12 wickets at an average of 11.75, second only to Australia’s Mitchell Starc.

    He has also been one of the most miserly bowlers at 4.14 runs per over, a huge achievement considering how the new playing conditions have meant that fast bowlers are getting hammered especially towards the end of the innings.

    Since making a sensational Test debut against the West Indies in 2013 in his adopted city of Kolkata, where he took nine wickets to fashion India’s crushing win inside three days, his graph has been on the rise. He has taken 47 wickets in 12 Tests and 82 wickets in 44 ODIs at an average of 24.54.

    There are certain character traits that set him apart. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has always praised his terrific work ethics, but more important is his determination to learn. As witnessed recently in Hamilton after India beat Ireland, nothing comes between him and good advise – not even his inability to speak English.

    After the match, Shami was seen almost pulling Team Director Ravi Shastri so that he could be introduced to Sir Richard Hadlee and pick his brains on bowling.

    “That’s how I am. I have no qualms about walking up to anybody and get their thought on my bowling. And obviously, he was the Richard Hadlee,” said Shami on the eve of India’ final Group B match against Zimbabwe.

    “I always want to find out from the senior players things like how they bowled on certain wickets, and what did they think of me and my bowling if they watched me. I will ask any player without any hesitation if he has anything that can make me better.”

    The 25-year-old, who celebrated his birthday five days ago on March 9, is a precious commodity, a national treasure in a country which is more famous for churning out spinners than fast bowlers. And one person in the team who has handled him with utmost care is the skipper.

    Shami concedes Dhoni has had a major role to play in his success so far.

    “I have played all the formats of the game under his captaincy. I have made all my debuts under him,” he said. “I like the way he handles the team and how he handles me as a bowler. He has always given me the freedom and I don’t think I have ever been tense when he has captained the side.

    “Dhoni is not someone who will keep demanding things when I am bowling. He is someone who will always tell me about my mistakes and ask me to try and not to repeat them in the future.

    “He never gets angry. He will tell you things very calmly and that helps a bowler. The support of the captain and backing of your captain despite making mistakes is very important and he does that.

    “In fact, when I was playing domestic cricket, I used to think how it would be to play international cricket with the seniors. But when I reached this level, honestly, I felt a lot more comfortable.”

    Asked how he managed to motivate himself after the Australia tour before the World Cup, and if he ever got frustrated during that period, Shami added: “Not at all. I know as an international cricketer, I will have good times and I will have bad times. The important thing is not to dwell over it for too long.

    “The truth is, the moment we started playing the Tri-series after the Tests, our mindset changed. And the moment the World Cup started, we forgot about the Triseries and had new objectives.”

    Recommended