Mohammed Shami is recognized as one of the best fast bowlers on the Indian cricket team in recent years, but his path has been filled with difficulties. He has been India’s top wicket-taker in the last three One Day International (ODI) World Cups, but his personal life has also been in the news. Shami experienced a difficult separation from his wife, Hasin Jahan, who filed a police report against him for domestic abuse. She also accused him of match-fixing after claiming he took money from a woman in Pakistan. Although Shami was cleared of these accusations by the authorities, his friend Umesh Kumar mentioned on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast that Shami thought about taking his own life during that period.
Umesh explained, “Shami was dealing with a lot during that time. He stayed with me at my place. But when the allegations of fixing with Pakistan came out and an investigation started that night, he was devastated. He said he could handle everything except being accused of betraying his country.”
“There was news that he wanted to do something very serious that night [end his life]. It was about 4 AM when I woke up to get a drink of water. As I walked to the kitchen, I noticed him standing on the balcony. We lived on the 19th floor. I realized what was happening. That night in Shami’s career felt like it lasted forever. Later, one day, we were talking and he received a message on his phone saying that the committee investigating the issue had cleared him of any wrongdoing. He seemed happier that day than he might have been even if he had won a World Cup,” he added.
Shami also talked about the difficulties he faced and what he was dealing with during that time.
“It depends on what you value most and how reliable the other person’s words are. If you realize that the other person’s actions don’t matter to you, don’t change your priorities. If I weren’t the Mohammed Shami I am today, nobody would care about my situation, and the media wouldn’t be interested in it. So why should I give up what made me Shami? You have to keep fighting,” he said.
