It is always a blessing when a senior player or coach can provide the right guidelines to a young player who is trying to come up in the ranks. Mohammed Shami was fortunate enough to get the right coaching or insights from the likes of former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan.
Both of these veteran bowlers had all the experience under their belt and they played a key role in shaping Shami’s career. Shami revealed that there was a lot to learn from these two experienced players when he played under them in two different franchises in the IPL.
Shami recalled that he used to look up to the likes of Zaheer Khan and Wasim Akram when India and Pakistan would take on each other. Thus, it was a great opportunity for Shami to learn the traits of bowling from these two, early on in his career.
Mohammed Shami played under the tutelage of Wasim Akram when he played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
“When I came to KKR, I realised the skill and value associated with cricket. I watched Wasim Akram all my life on television, but with KKR, I had the chance to learn from him. For the initial days, I was not even able to talk to him.
“Wasim Bhai came up to me then, and he initiated the conversation with me and he started telling me things about bowling. He read me very fast, he realised what I am all about, I learnt a lot from him. If you have someone experienced close to you, then you should not shy away and try to learn maximum things as well,” Shami said while talking to Manoj Tiwary in live instagram video chat.
On the other hand, Shami shared the same stage with Zaheer Khan when he represented Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Shami added that he learnt how to control the new ball while playing under Zaheer Khan.
“Zaheer Bhai and I did not play much together, but whenever I got the chance to talk to him, he was very helpful. I spent time with him during his IPL stint with Delhi Capitals. Zaheer Bhai is very experienced, I just wanted to learn how to go about bowling with the new ball,” he added.
Mohammed Shami has come a long way in his career since then. Shami recently revealed that he played the whole 2015 World Cup with a knee injury. The right-arm pacer had scalped 17 wickets in the ODI showpiece despite not being 100% fit.
On the other hand, Shami is currently a vital cog of the Indian pace battery. He has been at his best in the recent past and he would like to continue the same form going in the coming days. Shami has one of the best seam positions in the world and he is mostly right on the money with his line and length.
Shami has taken 180 wickets in 49 Test matches at an average of 27.36 whereas he has scalped 144 wickets in 77 ODI matches at an average of 25.42.
Written by: Gautam Chauhan
