Mohammed Shami, the Indian pace bowler, had said that he was motivated by negative comments from the media after the 2015 World Cup as he was battling a chronic knee injury.
Mohammed Shami has emerged as one of the spearheads in the Indian cricket team along with Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah in the last couple of years for the Indian cricket team. Shami has also been brilliant for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, emerging as their leading wicket-taker. However, recently, Mohammed Shami opened up on the career-threatening knee injury which he suffered in 2015. The Bengal pacer added that he played the 2015 World Cup despite a knee fracture. At that time, the media had written Shami off and they had also said that if he comes back, he will not be the same again.
These comments motivated Mohammed Shami to comeback stronger and today, he is one of the leading pace bowlers for India. “In 2015 and even back in 2018 when I faced an injury, the media said that my career would be over. The media reported that even if I come back, I won`t be the same Shami, and I agree that I am not the same that I was a few years back. And that’s the only correct thing that they have said. This comment motivated me a lot to do better in the game for which I am known,” said Shami in an interaction with InsideSport in their new Face2Face cricket series.
Self-motivating through injury
Shami was bed-ridden for two months and he wondered how he could once again resume his career. The right-arm pacer outlined how he kept himself motivated despite weighing close to 100 kgs.
“I remember after my injury, I weighed almost 95 kg and I felt that what people are saying is true and I can’t do anything about it. But then I had a ball next to me throughout the 60 days of my bed rest. You don’t have to forget things in life and you have to learn and adapt to the situation and you can’t lie to yourself, especially with regard to your profession,” Shami said.
The coronavirus lockdown in March resulted in many Indian players struggling for fitness and rhythm. In IPL 2020, there have been many instances of injuries and some players looked to be unhealthy and incapable of coping with the heat. Shami, who has eight wickets in four games, has said how he kept himself in rhythm during the coronavirus pandemic.
“When the lockdown started, I took 20-25 days off, but I pushed myself to utilise all the things I had which were needed for practice. Even though it gets a bit boring to practice alone, but luckily I had my friend and my brother for the practice. The training during the lockdown and a month of practice in the UAE helped me keep the momentum. Obviously, it takes time for any person to get back on the routine. It gets difficult for even office workers, so imagine how difficult it must be for a sportsperson to step out from the leisure of their homes. The most difficult thing for a sportsperson is to maintain his weight and fitness levels which becomes very crucial. I am very happy that I have been able to utilise what I got from cricket to keep myself in good shape," said Shami.
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 "Mohammed Shami Kings XI Punjab")
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