Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who played a crucial role in India’s success in the ICC World Cup 2023, recently expressed his joy at the appreciation received by the Indian bowling unit. During an event, Shami reflected on the recognition the fast bowlers garnered.
“The people who used to like the Indian cricket team for their batting have now started cheering for us. There is no greater happiness than this.”
People talk about the performance of the bowlers during the World Cup, but, if you have to look at the overall picture, you have to go back to 2013 and 2014. That is where the journey started.”
When asked about the comparison between Indian pacers and star batters in the country’s cricket history, Shami traced the journey back to 2013 and 2014, highlighting the pivotal period when the likes of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav laid the foundation.
“If we look at the facts now, we only had three fast bowlers performing in the World Cup this time, which makes us believe that we have set the benchmark for future bowlers.”
He emphasized that their current success is the result of a seven to eight-year journey, giving credit to bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah came in after and then Mohammed Siraj. Like this, this team could set a benchmark on its own.”
Shami underscored that the recent World Cup featured only three fast bowlers, indicating the high standards set for future generations. He proudly noted that India’s pace attack has consistently performed well, even on foreign soil, instilling confidence and trust in the team.
”If you look at the records of the past 6-8 years, we can see that the Indian cricket team has been able to take on any opposition on their home soil. This increased our confidence which enabled us to build trust in us which carried on through to 2024.”
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