As far as MS Dhoni is concerned, it's like a father-son relationship: Mohammad Shami

Injury related headlines have yet again surrounded Mohammad Shami. The right arm fast bowler, the fast bowling spearhead of Indian bowling attack, has had a troublesome 2016 due to his recurring knee problems. After having a productive time against England in the recently concluded Test series at home, the selectors have now opted to rest for the ODI leg pf the series which begins from January.

Many suspected injury as the reason again. But confirmed by the selectors and his coach himself, it was a precautionary measure. While he continued to perform wonderfully in any condition, it is his knee which grabs the news bulletins these days. Talking about this issues to Cricbuzz in a recent interview, Shami says that he found a way to access his injury a the earliest.

“I’ve reached a stage when even if there’s the slightest of discomfort, it’s easy to identify it. A slight swelling, the least bit of pain and you know that you need to get it checked. Playing at that level helps you immensely because the longer you play, the easier it becomes for you to connect with your body. After the Rajkot match, I could see a bit of swelling on the knee and I immediately brought it to the coach’s notice and spoke to the captain.”

“That’s what I’ve realized during these recurring injuries. Bearing pain is the easier part. What I can’t bear easily is the whole idea of having to stay away from action, away from my family, away from my teammates, staying alone in hotels, recovering from an injury and waiting to get back.”

Rest is not in the dictionary of an Indian cricketer. The packed schedule keeps them busy all round the year. But, Shami’s injuries issues give him one benefit – family time which he doesn’t mind despite the frustration of the missing out on international games.

“Outside of cricket, diet and sleep are what matter the most to me. When I go to my village in Uttar Pradesh and my mom gives me my favourite dishes, I have to say no. It took me time, but finally I’ve developed the mental strength to not look at the food.”

“With my wife and my 16-month-old daughter in Kolkata and my village, where my parents and my brothers live, where I come from. I’ll never forget where I come from. I’m sitting here in my hotel room in Bengaluru, and trying to communicate with my daughter. She’s begun to babble. It’s so much fun. That’s where my heart lies.”

Speaking about personal attributes, Shami reveals that he slightly introverted and doesn’t open up easily. He also recalled a memorable incident when the first time he entered the Indian team.

“I remember the first time I walked into this team, it’s a ritual that whoever makes it to the Indian team for the first time has to make a speech. When it was my turn, I was a little nervous. Because everybody in the team was someone, had accomplished something and I obviously had no idea how to deal with a completely different circle. Most cricketers have a very active social life and mine was completely different, coming from where I do. I remember walking up and saying something to the effect that “I can’t speak in English, so it’ll have to be in Hindi.” That’s how I started and the guys were like “toh isme kya baat hai”. That whole feeling of being accepted so immediately was amazing. As far as MS is concerned, it’s like a father-son relationship. What more can I say.”