Mohammed Shami, a top fast bowler, remembered when he didn’t get to play in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final even though he was one of India’s best bowlers in the competition. Shami took 14 wickets in four games with a very good economy rate of 5.48.
He took five wickets against England and got a hat-trick against Afghanistan. However, the Indian team didn’t include him in the semi-final against New Zealand, led by Kane Williamson, at Old Trafford in Manchester. India lost the game by 18 runs because they couldn’t reach the target of 240 runs.
In 2019, I didn’t play the first four or five games. But in the next game, I got three wickets in a row, then took five wickets, and then four more in the next game. Something similar happened in 2023. I didn’t play the first few games, then I took five wickets, followed by four, and then another five-wicket haul,” Shami said to Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube show ‘Unplugged’.
“I often wonder, every team needs players who can do well. I took 13 wickets in just three matches. What more could you want from me? I don’t have any questions, and I don’t have any answers either.”
Shami was the best bowler in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India came in second after losing to Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Shami took 24 wickets in seven games, including three times when he took five wickets in a match.
“I can only show my skills when I have the chance. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three games. Then we lost to New Zealand. I played four games in total and took 14 wickets. In 2023, I took 24 wickets in seven games,” Shami added.
Shami hasn’t played Competitive cricket since the World Cup final last year. He had surgeries and also missed playing for GT in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Shami has started bowling again in practice sessions, but there is no official word on when he will return to play.
