”Nobody Knew The Pain I Was Dealing With During 2015 ICC World Cup”, Mohammed Shami Reflects On Overcoming Injuries And Challenges Of Life

The journey from an aspirer to Mohammed Shami has been one hell of a ride as the star India pacer had to go through a number of obstacles.

New Delhi: India star, Mohammed Shami emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023 even though the Men in Blue ended up on the losing side as Australia clinched their record 6th title at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

Recently in an interview with Puma, Shami reflected on his cricketing journey, where he had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get to the point where he is now.

Nobody knew the pain I was dealing with (during the 2015 edition),” Shami talked in length about his injury during the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia/New Zealand.

The 33-year old said that before the tournament he had swelling in his knee but he had the ability to bear pain and after every match he would go to the hospital to take injections. For him, when you play for the country, one should forget everything.

“I had swelling in my knee before the 2015 tournament. Someone else could have said no but I have the ability to bear pain and I was told two options—either directly go for surgery or play the tournament and then go for the surgery. While the team would return to the hotel after every match, I would go to the hospital to take the injection. When you play for the country, you forget everything,“ added Shami.

He also said that after the operation, the doctors said it would be a big achievement if he is able to walk without a limp. Shami’s recovery depended everything on the rehab.

“I was unconscious for two hours. When I woke up, I asked the doctor when I could start playing. He replied, ‘It will be a big achievement if you walk without a limp, forget playing. It all depends on how you go about your rehab,” Shami said.

“Generally, bowlers check the pitch after arriving at the ground. I never go close to the wicket because you will know how it behaves only when you bowl on it. Then why take the pressure? It’s best to keep it simple, keep yourself relaxed and only then you will perform better,” said Shami, as he also revealed that he doesn’t follow any pre-match ritual.