Mohammed Shami credits change in team culture for his successful comeback

He has been one tireless soldier of the current Indian team. Be it in the Tests or ODIs, Mohammed Shami has been chugging in with regularity and doing just what the team wants him to: pick wickets. Shami recently finished as the man of the series in the ODI series against New Zealand and will soon shoulder responsibilities when India play Australia in a five-match ODI series at home next month.

The Bengal pacer, who has also been facing issues on his personal front, has not lost focus from his job and he credited the change in the team culture as the reason that enabled him to make a strong comeback to the limited-overs side. The 28-year-old bowler also said that during his break with a knee injury, it was tough for him to sit outside and watch India play. The obstacle was not just physical but mental too.

Shami’s tenacity was noticed when after facing a painful knee injury during India’s tour of Australia in 2014, he competed in all games that India played in the World Cup that followed the next year except one and ended up as India’s second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Shami though had a long break with an injury thereafter and had to even take the support of crutches to move.

He lost rhythm but the team didn’t lose faith on him

When Shami returned again to the national side in September 2017, his rhythm was not in place but he still had the trust of the team management. And that showed on the performance that the fast bowler came up with subsequently. He became the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets during the tour of New Zealand and thanked the change in the team culture as one of the biggest reasons for him to come back successfully.

“I feel the biggest factor for my comeback has been the change in the culture of the team, the fitness awakening that we have had has had a huge impact on me. I looked at others and worked on my game. I have enjoyed it fully. The fitness culture that we have in our team is amazing, you cannot even think about it,” Shami was quoted as saying by India Today.

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