New Delhi: Mohammed Shami admitted the Indian team management’s stance to leave him out for a few games despite taking loads of wickets in the 2019 ODI World Cup left the India pacer puzzled. The Bengal fast bowler was left on the bench in the first four games in the 2019 edition before he made his first appearance against Afghanistan where he took a hattrick. He then took a five-wicket haul against the eventual champions England.
With 14 wickets in four games, Shami saw himself on the bench in the final group game against Sri Lanka before being left out of the playing XI in the semifinal against New Zealand which India eventually lost. A similar thing happened four years later at home. Shami missed the first four games before finding a place in the side at the expense of injured Hardik Pandya.
“In 2019 I did not play the first 4-5 games. In the next game, I took a hat-trick, then picked up a five-wicket haul and then four wickets in the next game. A similar happened in 2023. I did not play in the first few games and then picked a fifer, then four wickets and then a five-wicket haul again,” Shami said in a YouTube show.
“The one thing I keep wondering is every team needs players who can perform well. I took 13 wickets in three matches. What more do you expect from me?” questioned the India veteran. Notably, Shami is India’s highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups and is the third-best bowler from Asia in the 50-over mega extravaganza with 55 scalps to his name. In fact, Shami is the only bowler in history to have four five-wicket hauls in World Cups.
Statistically, India played 28 games in the last three ODI World Cups with Shami featuring in just 18 of them. India won 15 out those 18 ties. “I neither have questions nor do I have answers. I can only prove myself when I get the opportunity. You gave me a chance, and I took 13 wickets in three matches. Then we lost to New Zealand. played four matches overall and picked 14 wickets. In 2023, I picked 24 wickets in seven matches,” added Shami.
