Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who has delivered standout performances in ODI World Cups, recently voiced his confusion over the team management’s decision to bench him during crucial stages of the World Cup 2019.
Shami’s ODI career has been exceptional, with 195 wickets in 100 innings at the impressive average of 23.68. This includes an outstanding tally of five five-wicket hauls.
In an interview on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show ‘Unplugged,’ Shami shared his thoughts.
“In 2019, I didn’t play the first four games, but I grabbed a hat-trick against Afghanistan in the next contest. That was followed by a five-wicket haul against England and then four more wickets in next two games against the West Indies and Bangladesh. A comparable sequence occurred in 2023 . I sat out the initial few games, then claimed a five-wicket haul, followed by four wickets, and finally another five-wicket performance,” Shami said.
In the World Cup 2023, Shami claimed a tournament-high 24 wickets in just seven games. It was only until all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out because of an injury that he got his chance to make a mark.
“As a player who took 14 wickets in just four matches, I’m wondering what more the team could expect from me. Every team needs performers, and I’ve clearly demonstrated my ability to deliver on the field,” he stated.
In the 2019 edition, the pacer took 14 wickets in four matches, but was benched for India’s final league game against Sri Lanka and the semifinal against New Zealand. India ultimately lost that semifinal by 18 runs.
Shami expressed his discontent by saying, “I had no questions, nor did I have any answers. Yet, when given the opportunity, I was able to prove myself. You provided me with a chance, and I seized it, taking 14 wickets across four matches. Unfortunately, we then lost to New Zealand. In total, I played four matches and picked up 14 wickets. In 2023, I built on that performance, taking 24 wickets in seven matches,” he added.
During the World Cup 2019, Mohammed Shami’s consistent performances, while playing under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and the coaching of Ravi Shastri, highlighted the value of fully leveraging a team’s talent, particularly in high-stakes tournaments like the World Cup.