FAST & FURIOUS

EARLY last year, it seemed that the Mohammed Shami story — humble origins in Uttar Pradesh, prospering with help from kindness of strangers in Kolkata, then stardom at the 2015 World Cup — was going to end badly. Accused by his wife of domestic violence, adultery and match-fixing, his central contract with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) was put on hold.

Having skills and pace together is the USP of this side as it increases the confidence of the attack. I feel very proud that today people talk about our bowling as one of the best — Mohammed Shami

India Squad

Mohammed Shami

Speed Merchant

EARLY last year, it seemed that the Mohammed Shami story — humble origins in Uttar Pradesh, prospering with help from kindness of strangers in Kolkata, then stardom at the 2015 World Cup — was going to end badly. Accused by his wife of domestic violence, adultery and match-fixing, his central contract with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) was put on hold. That was a double whammy — a violent man at home, a corrupt cricketer on the field — very difficult to escape from.

Shami says that he was blameless of all the allegations made against him by Hasin Jahan, his estranged (now divorced) wife. An investigation by BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit absolved him of the match-fixing/corruption charges made against him by Hasin Jahan. The media had a field day over the event — they even managed to dig up a former husband of Hasin Jahan, and what he said put her in a bad light. Madness reigned, and Shami says that he managed to keep his sanity only due to his innocence and his focus on cricket.

Survivor

Shami has looked world-weary, has lost a fair bit of his hair, and he did fail the Indian team’s fitness standard, the yo-yo test — but he’s managed to survive. He’s not done too badly on the field, too — he’s taken 56 international wickets after the controversy broke, 34 in Tests and 22 in ODIs. His best was 6/56 in the second innings of the Perth Test in December last year; he ended up with 16 wickets as India beat Australia in the Test series. In ODIs, his record has been less stellar, with a best of 3/19 against New Zealand at Napier in January. But clearly, he’s got the trust of his captain — in 12 of 13 ODIs he’s played since April 1 last year, Shami has either opened the bowling (5 times) or bowled at No. 2 (7 times). Only once was he brought on as first-change. And he’s the quickest Indian to 100 wickets in ODIs.

Kohli’s confidence

Kohli banks on Jasprit Bumrah, he has faith in Bhuvneshwar Kumar — and he admires Shami. “The fast bowling group together believes they can knock any side over. And the belief in his (Shami) own ability and his fitness — this is the fittest I’ve seen him in his career,” Kohli said after Shami was named the Man of the Match in Napier for his 3/19. “And his Test form has translated into One-day cricket.”

At the World Cup, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Shami will form the backbone of the Indian attack — backed by allrounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar. The two wrist-spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, are thought of as India’s trump cards, but the onus would be on the pace bowlers to give India a good start in every match.

Variety in pace

Shami says he, and his pace mates, are ready. He rates the pace trio highly, and says: “The best part is that along with variety, we have an attack that can bowl fast. Having skills and pace together is the USP of this side as that somewhere increases the confidence of the attack. To be honest, it is like a dream that has come true and I feel very proud that today people talk about our bowling unit as one of the best — a thing that wasn’t heard much, but is now called our strength.”

He’s not exaggerating — people have been calling India’s bowling unit the world’s best right now, and figures support this view. Since the beginning of 2018, India have taken more wickets than any other team in ODI cricket, and at a better average than any other Test-playing team except Afghanistan.

The way England and Pakistan scored past 340 at will in their ODI series, it’s clear that bowlers must produce something extraordinary to keep the opposition to below 300. Shami believes that India’s pace attack — with speed, swing, deception, yorkers, et al — has the ability to do that. — TNS

Factfile

Age: 28 years 259 days

Born in: Amroha, UP

Major teams: India, Bengal, DD, ICC World XI, India A, KXIP, KKR

Trivia

Mohammed Shami hails from village Sahaspur village in Amroha, UP. Seeing his potential, his father took him to Moradabad to train under a coach there, Badaruddin Siddique. Seeing how good Shami was at only 15 years, Siddique suggested that he be sent to Kolkata
In Kolkata, Shami signed up with Dalhousie Athletic Club, making Rs 500 per match, before moving to Town Club, at an annual contract of Rs 75,000, plus a Rs 100 daily lunch allowance. He did not have a proper place to stay, so Town Club’s Debabrata Das took him to his own home and Shami began to live there
Shami was fond of sleeping and eating biryani during his Kolkata days — it was easy to fire him up to dismiss batsmen by tempting him with biryani
When he made his India debut in 2013, he was known as Shami Ahmed, but he clarified that the name was Mohammed Shami. “I’m Mohammed Shami, not Shami Ahmed,” he said.