Shami was going through a difficult time in his career and was having personal and professional problems...
Digital Desk: The Indian cricket team defeated New Zealand by 70 runs in the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-final on Wednesday. The star of the match, Mohammed Shami, recorded the best-ever wicket haul by an Indian bowler in World Cup history. With seven wickets, he powered India to the championship game.
In the midst of this, old remarks by the bowler on quitting cricket have resurfaced on the internet. According to bowling coach Bharat Arun, the 33-year-old bowler intended to retire from the game before India's tour of England in 2018.
According to Mr. Arun, Shami was going through a difficult time in his career and was having personal and professional problems. He was thereby "mentally" affected. Just before the 2018 tour of England, we had a fitness test and Shami failed in it.
"He was dropped from the Indian team. He stated he wanted to talk to me over the phone. He was having personal problems, so I invited him to my room. He was no longer psychologically there and his fitness suffered. I want to quit cricket because I am very angry, he stated to me. I took Shami to meet Ravi Shastri immediately," he told Cricbuzz.
He further stated, "We both went up to his room and I said 'Ravi, Shami wants to say something'. Ravi asked what it was and Shami told him the same thing 'I don't want to play cricket'. Both of us asked 'What will you do if not play cricket?' What else do you know? You know how to bowl when given the ball," the coach added.
Shami's fitness increased when the two chose to send him to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Mr. Arun added, "So Ravi said, 'It's good that you're angry. You have a ball in your hand, which makes this the best thing that has happened to you. You're not very fit. Take out your wrath on your body, whatever that may be. You will be sent to the National Cricket Academy, where we want you to stay for four weeks. You're going to NCA and not back home."
He claimed that the bowler's conditions were favorable "because he had a problem going to Kolkata". He worked on his body in Bengaluru for five weeks. "He called, and I still recall him telling me, 'Sir, I've turned into a stallion. Allow me to run as much as you like. During his five weeks there, Mr. Arun saw the positive effects that working out can have on him", Arun told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Shami claimed seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.79 in 9.5 overs for 57 runs in the semi-final. In the history of the World Cup, his bowling figures rank fifth best; the best being Australia's Glenn McGrath's 7/15 against Namibia in 2003. The seasoned pacer also took 50 World Cup wickets, making history as the seventh bowler to accomplish this feat.
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