Mohammad Shami - Discussion Thread

'Stronger, faster and fitter', Shami hopes for another good World Cup

Shami was one of the driving forces behind India's excellent run to the semi-final of the previous edition, in 2015, in Australia and New Zealand. Following that tournament, he played only five matches, until December 2018.

He has since made a strong comeback, with 19 wickets in 11 matches, at an average of 26.42, and is raring to exploit the overcast and windy conditions in England, which he thinks are suited to his bowling.

"I worked on my game during the time I was away from the field and didn't lose focus of my aim: to get back into the national reckoning," he told IANS. "I have returned stronger, faster and fitter."

Shami, who is a master of swing, both conventional and reverse, sounded confident about executing his skills at the World Cup. "My yorkers are still as potent as they used to be, and I will be using a lot of them during the World Cup," he said. "I back myself to bowl fast, incoming deliveries, and it wouldn't be easy for batsmen to hit me."

Talking about the current Indian pace battery, which also boasts of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami regarded the ability to bowl skillfully at a high pace as a major component of its success.

"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."

Shami acknowledged the healthy competition within the bowling department, adding that the current lot doesn't shy away from taking each other's advice to enhance their skills further. "We are a happy bowling bunch. We discuss a lot among ourselves," he said. "We are not shy of taking each other's advice, that's the kind of freedom we enjoy. I tell Bumrah about a certain bowling aspect and he does the same with me.

"Our experience makes us a very strong bowling unit. We know our roles going into the World Cup and will exploit the conditions accordingly."

https://www.cricketworldcup.com/news/en/1223523
 
Has a World Cup hattrick to his name now.


Special achievement
 
A wise word from MS Dhoni inspired Mohammed Shami to bowl the delivery that earned his place in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history.

Shami, drafted into the Indian team after an injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was given the responsibility for the final over with Afghanistan needing 16 runs to win, with three wickets in hand.

Mohammad Nabi drilled his first delivery down the ground to bank his half century and put India’s fans on their edge of their seats.

But Shami then produced a devastating series of deliveries to turn the match, claiming only the third hat-trick in men’s World Cup history - and arguably one of the most decisive.

He outfoxed Nabi with a Yorker that he fired straight down long on’s throat and then produced two carbon copy deliveries to skittle out the tailenders - it was brutal stuff, fast, straight and bang on middle stump.

“The plan was simple. There was no time to think, you just had to back yourself and your skills. I didn’t want to try variations because that increases the chances of going for runs,” said Shami, the second Indian player to claim three straight wickets after Chetan Sharma in 1987.

“Mahi bhai (Dhoni) told me to keep bowling Yorkers, he said ‘don’t change anything now, you can get a hat-trick’.

"Getting a chance in the team is a bit of luck but I was ready to seize my opportunity. The chance to get a hat-trick is a very rare thing and it’s very special for me.”

Afghanistan’s spinners restricted India’s scoring but it was Virat Kohli’s pace attack that allowed them to defend a modest total in a thrilling encounter.

Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets in three balls as Afghanistan were starting to exude confidence and Shami finished with figures of 4/40 thanks to his final over heroics.

“We knew they would be circumspect against short balls, we didn’t bowl full deliveries but focused on bouncers from varying lengths, the plan worked,” added Shami.

Afghanistan bowlers were hit for a record 25 sixes in their previous match with England with Rashid Khan, one of the best performers on the franchise T20 circuit, finishing with figures of 0/110 at Headingley.

However, Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal paid tribute to his response, as Afghanistan’s top three spinners went for just 97 runs off their combined 29 overs, Rashid claiming the key wicket of Dhobi.

“He’s a champion bowler and you cannot judge a man on one match, it’s part of being a bowler that you are going to get hit sometimes. I thought he played very well in response,” he said,

Chalal also believes the close encounter with Afghanistan at the Hampshire Bowl will only sharpen India for future group stage clashes with West Indies, England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"When you win these types of games you have more confidence, we know we can score 240 or 250 and the bowlers can defend this,” he added.

“It's all about your mindset. We knew this game was very crucial, we’d be established in the table ahead of some matches with very good teams.”
 
Breathing fire in this World Cup

Has looked terrific

Wow I thought he was fast but he’s got faster!
 
Seen very few balls move in off the seam as much as that one did to bowl Hope. I thought he had got an inside edge on first viewing. Frightening stuff if you are an England batsman watching this with the game to come on Monday.
 
Stump shattering Shami always gets India back in the game.

Great spell
 
Shami is one of the best all format bowler in the world. India is lucky to have both Bumrah and Shami who consitently performs no matter the format.
 
one of the modern greats
one of those players where the average doesn't do justice. better than mitchell Johnson.
 
one of the modern greats
one of those players where the average doesn't do justice. better than mitchell Johnson.
Kudos to Shastri and Kohli for Shami's resurgence. He could have easily drifted into oblivion while the personal things were taking a turn for the worse. But they kept their faith in him and he has responded. Love the sight of stumps cartwheeling to tune of his in dippers.
 
kpjNKDS.png
 
Shami n bumrah are beasts, bhuvi n ishant are very good, Umesh is good

We never had 5 proper fast bowlers in tandem!!
 
The only bowler in the Indian team who has at least 3 of the 5 essential elements of being considered a true fast bowler.

He has Jazba, Daleri, Jaanbaazi.

Only thing he misses now is little bit of Badmashi. He needs to stop being dossile.

Hit them batsmen. State them. Hurt them. Let them know you want blood. Let their insurance agency know they are in financial trouble.
 
The only bowler in the Indian team who has at least 3 of the 5 essential elements of being considered a true fast bowler.

He has Jazba, Daleri, Jaanbaazi.

Only thing he misses now is little bit of Badmashi. He needs to stop being dossile.

Hit them batsmen. State them. Hurt them. Let them know you want blood. Let their insurance agency know they are in financial trouble.

one of the modern day greats. One of the best bowlers of current era. period.

Better than rabada. stats are misleading. Impact isn't. match winning ability isn't.
shami has that.

lol if stats were everything philander is better than waqar, wasim, bishop, walsh in tests.
 
He is mentally tough,i remember his daughter was in the ICU still he bowled very well.
 
He is facing many personal issues. The way BCCI and team supporting him is the main reason behind success.
Shami has been locked in a legal battle with his wife after the latter accused the cricketer of domestic violence, infidelity and match fixing which briefly put his BCCI central contract on hold.
He lost the central contract ad got again.
 
The only bowler in the Indian team who has at least 3 of the 5 essential elements of being considered a true fast bowler.

He has Jazba, Daleri, Jaanbaazi.

Only thing he misses now is little bit of Badmashi. He needs to stop being dossile.

Hit them batsmen. State them. Hurt them. Let them know you want blood. Let their insurance agency know they are in financial trouble.

Stupid thinking. Is he a cricketer or a boxer? :inti
 
He can rip apart sides, best old ball bowler in the world, it's a treat to watch him bowl.
 
one of the modern day greats. One of the best bowlers of current era. period.

Better than rabada. stats are misleading. Impact isn't. match winning ability isn't.
shami has that.

lol if stats were everything philander is better than waqar, wasim, bishop, walsh in tests.

That's very true. Philander being compared to Akram is laughable, he isn't 1/5th the bowler Akram was.

Rabada has disappointed me a lot, he's seems to be a bigger home pitch bully than Ashwin.
 
Steyn has called Shami the best bowler in world on current form.

Not a small praise this...

Great going by Shami....
 
Mohammed shami vs Mitchell johnson

Actually a very good comparison in test cricket. shami is better in odi obviously.

Shami averages 26.9 at present.
Mitch averages 28.4.

Both are brilliant bowlers. Shami is at his peak right now and has clearly shown what a world class bowler he is.

Mitchell had a great career. if it weren't for a poor start that he had, his average would be around the 25- 26 mark. Quality bowler at his peak.

Can shami finish his career with an average of 26 in test cricket ?

Mitch can lead by example and so can shami. I give a slight edge to shami overall in tests but Mitch was deadly at his absolute best.
 
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‘Find of India, the best fast bowler of world’: Shoaib Akhtar’s highest praise for India quick

Indian fast bowlers being labelled as the best is nothing new in the last couple of years but when it comes from a former Pakistan speedster, who still holds the record for the fastest delivery – 161.3 km/h against England in 2003 – it still warrants a special mention. Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar reserved the highest praise for India fast bowler Mohammed Shami, terming him ‘the best fast bowler in the world’ after his heroics in the last over of the 3rd T20I against New Zealand stretched the match into Super Over. India, down and out at one stage, in the end, ended up on the winning side in Super Over at Hamilton to claim their maiden T20I series in New Zealand.

Shami, who was rested from the 4th T20I and replaced by Navdeep Saini, had only 9 runs to defend in the last over with two set batsmen – Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor – in the crease. Shami was hit for a six in his first ball. The right-arm seamer, however, made a roaring comeback after that, dismissing Williamson for 95 and then bowling two dot balls to Seifert – one was converted into a bye. When the equation was down to 1 run off 1 ball Shami knocked over Taylor’s stumps to send the Hamilton crowd in frenzy.

“When Taylor hit Shami for a six in the first ball, I thought the match was over but that’s where the experience of Shami came into play. He realized there was little bit of dew which will help the ball skid if he hits the length,” said Akhtar on his Youtube channel.

Shami bowled short and wide to get the wicket of Williamson and then followed it with similar deliveries to new man Tim Seifert from which the keeper-batsman failed to make any contact. Taylor, who got the strike back after stealing a bye dragged the last ball onto his stumps.

“Taylor hit me a lot through the midwicket region in my last match but unfortunately he dragged the same shot onto his stumps on the last ball. But credit to Shami,” added Akhtar

Crediting Shami’s length variation and his ability to think in pressure situations, Akhtar termed the ‘the find of India and the best fast bowler in the world currently.

“Shami is a very clever bowler. He is the find of India and he is the best fast bowler in the world. Whatever situation you put him in, he always excels, whether it’s a world cup or a T20 in New Zealand, he’s a very very smart fast bowler. When he got to know that yorkers won’t work, he immediately switched to length balls and bouncers,” explained Akhtar

After both sides ended up scoring 179 in the legitimate 20 overs, New Zealand scored 17 runs in the Super Over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. In reply, Rohit Sharma hit two sixes off Tim Southee when 10 runs were needed off 2 balls to seal the victory for India. In the Super

“I feel bad for New Zealand. All the memories of the World Cup crept up. You could almost feel the pain in their eyes,” Akhtar said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...india-quick/story-n5eTtxz75xgK3RggmMbADN.html
 
The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mohammed Shami as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad. Shami has reached Australia and will link up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of the warm-up matches.
 
Final nail lol This guy was never a half decent T20 bowler to begin with. After long lay off he is going to be even worse. BCCI has made sure India doesn't have even 1% chance of getting through to next round.
 
His T20I numbers are atrocious and always have been. But I guess India is desperate after Bumrah's injury and who can blame them? Their bowling attack looks as toothless as ever. Shami is atleast an experienced bowler that has done very well for them in other formats.
 
Final nail lol This guy was never a half decent T20 bowler to begin with. After long lay off he is going to be even worse. BCCI has made sure India doesn't have even 1% chance of getting through to next round.

I difer. He is the only guy with some pace and we need someone upfront to push them batsmen onto the back foot.
the rest of halwa harshal, Sir bhuvi mediocre sobers, nowesh avesh, hardik, thakur Sahab, arshdeep are military medium and canon fodder if there is no swing. we have to mix it up and he and siraj are the only options currently.
this is where BCCI are wasting it big time, not throwing young talent withpace to burn like umraan, mohsein , kuldeep sen, tyagi, mavi, nagarkoti, that u-19 hangar guy, into the meaningless bilterals and helping them gain experience at intl level.
ther is also a big paradigm shift with the likes of bharat Arun, sridhar going along with ravi bourbon, the current coaching lot are too conservative and bank on military medium.
we need people like Craig Mcd or trol cooley to instil th pace mentality back.
 
I difer. He is the only guy with some pace and we need someone upfront to push them batsmen onto the back foot.
the rest of halwa harshal, Sir bhuvi mediocre sobers, nowesh avesh, hardik, thakur Sahab, arshdeep are military medium and canon fodder if there is no swing. we have to mix it up and he and siraj are the only options currently.
this is where BCCI are wasting it big time, not throwing young talent withpace to burn like umraan, mohsein , kuldeep sen, tyagi, mavi, nagarkoti, that u-19 hangar guy, into the meaningless bilterals and helping them gain experience at intl level.
ther is also a big paradigm shift with the likes of bharat Arun, sridhar going along with ravi bourbon, the current coaching lot are too conservative and bank on military medium.
we need people like Craig Mcd or trol cooley to instil th pace mentality back.


Pace? lol 138 kph is not pace. Siraj can offer. I don't like him either. But he is better than this guy who never had a half decent T20 career to begin with. Siraj has at least played some matches. To compound matter zero practice for 4 months. There is a reason why he has played limited T20 matches.
 
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