Security beefed up at Mohammed Shami's farmhouse as fans galore

After sitting out in the initial phase of the ODI Word Cup 2023, Mohammed Shami made his return in the match against New Zealand and took the tournament by storm. He picked up 24 wickets in just seven matches and ended up as India’s leading wicket-taker in the history of the tournament. With that, the 33-year-old has earned celebrity status in the country as hundreds of people gathered at his farmhouse on December 10 (Sunday) to meet the cricketer.

Shami shared a glimpse of the same on his Instagram account and it instantly went viral on social media. Notably, the ace pacer was born in Uttar Pradesh but plays domestic cricket for Bengal. The Amroha-born cricketer recently revealed that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) did not give him enough opportunities and was stunned by the reply of the officials when asked about the same. 

“My brother was told, 'Agar meri kursi hila sakte ho to ladka select ho jayega, bohot acha hai, warna sorry' (If you can move my chair, the boy will be selected). My brother gave one reply 'forget moving the chair, I can turn it upside down, I have that much power.' But I don't want that, if I have the capability I should selected. He was told that people with capability are of no use here. My brother tore up the form and said that after today we will not involve ourselves in UP cricket. That was my last day in UP cricket," Shami said during an interview with Puma.

Shami joined Bengal and trained under Waqar Younis when the latter was appointed as one of the coaches. He also trained under Wasim Akram during his IPL days with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Shami was also part of the Arun Lal Academy during the initial phase of his career.

“Then I moved to Calcutta at the age of 14-15. I talked to my coach. I became steadfast that I have to play. I was getting lot of experience. After three-four years, I went to Arun Lal academy. It was a cement pitch. The place for run-up was short. I was surprised. But still I bowled,” he said.