Mohammed Shami: Of powerplay strikes and a timely reminder

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Mohammed Shami is a wicket-taker. If there was one thing that’s been a constant about him through his career is that he is a strike bowler. He’s not the kind who could hold one end up and bowl all day. 

Although he has added a bit of it to his arsenal in recent years, with Shami, it was always about taking wickets. And his strike rate in Test cricket is a testament to that.

However, sometimes, it has cost him with respect to the economy, especially in the shortest format (9.54 runs per over in 17 matches across seven years). In ODIs, he has fared much better, especially with Jaspirt Bumrah in the company over the last few years. 2019 was his career-best year, having taken 42 scalps from 21 matches, including 14 wickets from four games in the World Cup.

Even when he was going over seven runs per over in 2020, there was no dearth of wickets. In six games during the pandemic-affected year, Shami bagged 12 wickets, cruising towards the 150-wicket mark. But a packed Test calendar and the rise of other pacers meant that he hardly got to play white-ball cricket in the year that followed.

After a forgettable T20 World Cup last year, the 31-year-old hit a roadblock of sorts. Wickets weren’t coming in the powerplay. It was the case even in the IPL before the World Cup. This is why, ahead of the 2022 edition, there was a bit of scepticism as to how he would fare at Gujarat Titans. And Shami came out in flying colours, swinging the new ball and taking wickets in the first six overs. 11 off his 20 scalps came in the powerplay — the most by a bowler in the edition.

As a result, he was back in the Indian team for the ODIs in England, and he did not take long to reach the milestone. With three wickets in the first ODI, Shami became the fastest Indian and third fastest bowler — second as a pacer behind Mitchell Starc, to take 150 ODI wickets.

“It wasn’t a small break but of three years,” said Shami after the match in a chat with bowling coach  Paras Mhambrey on BCCI.tv. 

“Nothing was going on in my head regarding the gap. I’ve become very comfortable with the team. Everyone knows their job and after playing so much of cricket, if you come with a question mark in your mind, then I believe it’s not good.”

Clarity, courage and keeping it simple — are the three things he talks about throughout the chat. While the clarity of mind and confidence in his abilities has helped him succeed, Shami said being “courageous from the heart” was the key to doing well irrespective of the format. 

“Personally speaking, reverting back to ‘keep it simple theory will be the best. If the wicket behaves a little differently, then you need to think a bit more,” he said.

With a T20 World Cup and a home ODI World Cup coming up, both Shami and India would want him to keep following the three things that work for him. For there’s one thing that’s a constant about Shami — he is a wicket-taker.