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Bharat Arun revealed how Ravi Shastri and he helped Mohammed Shami overcome personal and fitness struggles in 2018, leading to Shami’s inspiring comeback for India in England.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami (PTI)
Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has made a startling revelation about star pacer Mohammed Shami. The right-arm quick has been out of action since featuring in the ICC ODI World Cup final in 2023, but he has been pushing hard to make his way back into the Indian dressing room. He is currently representing the East Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru.
Back in 2018, Shami went through a tough phase when not only was he dropped from the Indian team, but his personal life also took a hit. That’s when he wanted to quit cricket after failing the fitness test.
In a podcast with Times of India, Bharat Arun recalled how he and then head coach, Ravi Shastri inspired the pacer to make an inspiring comeback.
“When Shami was going through trauma and a crisis in his personal life, Ravi (Shastri) spoke to him and told him, ‘Any support you need, please feel free to ask,’” former India bowling coach Bharat Arun told Times of India.
“And in 2018, just before the tour of England, we had a match against Afghanistan (Test match in Bengaluru). Shami failed the fitness test, and he was dropped from the team. He was very dejected. He was at the peak of his personal problems as well. So he came to my room and said, ‘Paaji, mai cricket chor doonga’ (I will quit cricket).”
“So I asked him, ‘What are you going to do after quitting cricket? Whatever you are and whatever you have achieved is because of cricket.’ He said he was angry. I took him to Ravi. Ravi said, ‘If you are angry and you have the ball in your hand, show your anger with the ball. You want to quit cricket because your body is not fit?’
“We sent him to the NCA, and the only instruction was to work on him physically, no bowling. Three weeks after we sent him to the NCA, he called me and said: ‘Paaji, mai toh abhi ghode ki tarah bhaag raha hoon‘ (I am running like a horse).”
“That is how Mohammed Shami regained his confidence, and he played those five Test matches in England. In the fifth Test match, after tea time on the last day, he bowled a spell at 140 kmph — that was his fitness level. It was amazing,” Bharat Arun concluded.
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had … Read More
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