Time after Injury Was Toughest, Irritating: Shami

Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami,himself, revealed the torture he suffered due to the injury and said that he was completely in bed for the first two months of his injury.

This knee injury ruled him out of cricket for nearly nine months following India’s exit in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Shami said after a good come back in team India squad for the upcoming Australian tour of Indian team, “The doctor had told me not to get out of bed for two months. It was the most difficult phase for me. I was not allowed to keep my feet on the ground. I was only allowed to get up from my bed and go to the bathroom.

“And the second thing is I couldn’t play. When I left the crutches and met the team before the tour of Bangladesh, I felt like I was alive again. I had not seen the dining room even for those two months.

I started feeling good again when I started light running and my cricket. I felt like I was back to my world. It is very difficult to be mentally strong during this period,” he said.

Having recovered from his injury, Shami played for Bengal in a few domestic matches, claiming three wickets in the two Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day matches.

He also got back his rhythm in Mushtaq Ali Trophy T-20 matches, claiming five wickets in two games.

“It was very important for me to get back my rhythm and get some matches under my belt. I wanted to start from where I had left before my injury. I was feeling comfortable as I was able to bowl with the same pace and hit the same line and length,” he said.

MS Dhoni also welcomed come back of fast bowler Mohammad Shami after his knee injury, but said that we have to keep a close look at the burden faced by him.

“Shami has been a very good bowler for us, especially if you see the period before he got injured. He has been equally effective for us with the new ball, in the middle overs and in the death. He has been very consistent in his performance.”

He has worked really hard during his rehab. It will be interesting to see how he shapes up. I will try to manage him well because the World Cup is just round the corner,” Dhoni said on Tuesday in Mumbai.

Shami elaborated his feelings about his life after injury, “Injuries are very irritating for me and any other cricketer. It’s very difficult to mentally come out of an injury. I just hope it never happens to me again in my life.”

Despite playing through pain due to a knee injury, the Bengal medium-pacer emerged India’s best bowler in the tournament, claiming 17 wickets in seven matches.

Following the a long spell on the sidelines, the 25-year-old pacer is back in the Indian squad for the forthcoming One-Day International and T-20 series in Australia, and will be hoping to repeat his performances Down Under. 

But once again Shami is out of the Indian team due to injury at Australian tour and will not be able to play in the upcoming ODI series. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will replace him as fas bowler in Indian squad.