Shami and his art of grabbing a seat in an unreserved, packed bogie

Lucknow: Mohammed Shami is from Budhanpur, Amroha District, Sehazpur Ali Nagar. It is a dusty village on NH-24 with a mixed population of five thousand. 

But he is street-smart and knows how to grab a seat in a packed, unreserved train compartment. 

He was watching everything on the bench. But Hardik Pandya's injury provided him with a chance to prove his worth, as he did in 2006 when he started his journey as a bowler in an unreserved compartment of Punjab mail.

"I knew from the beginning how capable Shami is. In 2006, my friend, Abdul Munab, called me from Kolkata. He owned the Dalhousie Cricket Club there. One of his pace bowlers had received an injury. The club was already gearing up to play in the quarterfinals of the local league. He asked me if there was a quality pacer. I said I have the best one," Badrudin, Shami’s local coach, had told this writer. 

“Two days later, I bought a ticket for Punjab Mail and handed it over to Shami. He was just a kid. Before boarding the train, that too in an unreserved bogie he gave me an innocent look without saying anything. I said, "Ja beta, tery liye acha he hoga”, Badrudin added.

Following that, Shami never looked back. He played domestic cricket in West Bengal rather than UP, where selectors refused to accept him as a good bowler.

Sitting on the bench during the Cricket World Cup is frustrating for any cricketer. But Shami knows his role whenever he takes responsibility and is quick to adopt conditions.

“I will do something only when I am given the chance. But yes, it is very important. When you are not playing, it is very difficult," said Shami. 

“But if your team is performing and your boys are moving in a rhythm, then I don't think you should feel guilty sitting outside. Because you are also a part of the team and a part of the World Cup. I think everyone should enjoy each other’s success,” he added.

Shami played his first ICC Cricket World Cup match against New Zealand. He took five wickets in that match, and against England, when India had to save a small total of 229, Shami gave four wickets to his captain, Rohit Sharma.

Since his return, Shami has taken wickets in his very first spell.

“I mean, it is good if we get the batting first. But if we had gotten a good score, it would have been more fun. The score was good at 230, and the wicket was difficult”, spinner Kuldeep Yadav said after the match against England. “The way Rohit [Sharma] batted and gave a respectable total of 230 I was hoping we would be in the game if we got two wickets in powerplay. The way Shami and Jasprit bowled in the first spell, they got two wickets in powerplay, and we were back in the game.”

“When you start, it's very important that you get a good start for your team. That's your role. Our bowlers have chosen the right areas, and they have been in the right area. We did well and we restricted them, and the result is in front of you," Shami said.