Dhoni support vital: Shami

With average height and build, Mohammad Shami doesn’t fit into your image of a typical fast bowler. But then, as they say, looks can be deceptive. Shami conceals a mean streak in his lean 5’ 10’’ frame. He generates disconcerting pace and when it is allied with swing, he can be as dangerous as any in the world.

After what can be passed off as an average Test series and tri-series, Shami has emerged as one of the architects of India’s resurgence. In the absence of Ishant Sharma, he has led India’s attack with admirable poise and precision that has fetched him 12 wickets from four matches at an average of 11.75 and an economy rate of 4.14. If India’s bowling in this World Cup – they have bowled out all five of their opponents -- is being praised highly, then Shami’s role has been crucial in that.

It’s been one great transformation in Shami’s fortunes and the timing of his return to his best couldn’t have been any better from India’s point of view. “I would like to believe that till now I haven’t had that bad patch that I could think about it,” Shami said in jest when asked about how he dealt with himself when things weren’t going his way.
“It is by God’s grace that everything is going well at the moment for me. Whenever I go through a rough patch or a bad day, I go back to my room and think about my mistakes. Or, I talk to my captain and teammates and ask for suggestions from them on how to get better. I try to rectify the mistakes in my practice sessions and I become alright,” he remarked.

When prodded a bit further, Shami got philosophical. “Having good and bad days is part of the game and as a cricketer you will have good and bad days,” he noted. “You need to think about the mistakes that you have made in the previous game and work on them. Keeping the bad days in mind will only affect your thinking, instead it is better to move on.”

Coming from a small town – Sahaspur in Uttar Pradesh – Shami has had his insecurities when he made his India debut but slowly all his apprehensions were cast away with a helpful captain making him feel comfortable in the set-up.   

“I have played all the formats of the game under his captaincy,” said Shami when asked about Dhoni’s influence on him. “I have made all my debuts under his captaincy. I like the way he handles the team and handles me as a bowler. I am always free and I am never tense when he is the captain. He is not someone who demands certain things from me. He is someone who has always told me about my mistakes and asked me not to repeat them in the future. He never gets angry. He will tell you things very calmly and handles the situation well which helps a bowler.

“The support of the captain and backing of your captain despite making mistakes is very important and he does that. It has been a plus point for me that I have played and made my debut under him. When I was playing domestic cricket, I used to think about how would I talk to the seniors when I reach the international level? When I reached that level, I felt a lot more comfortable than the domestic level. This is the confidence that has helped me thus far,” he stated.