One of India’s premier fast bowlers in all formats Mohammed Shami recently revealed how Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan helped him in his career. Shami disclosed this while being on an Instagram Live chat with his Ranji trophy teammate Manoj Tiwari.
Shami explained in detail how the two great left-arm seamers helped him over the years. The fast bowler idolised both Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan when he was young. Shami also admitted that while he was growing up his favourite players also included Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
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“ When we were growing up, we used to witness the intense clash between India and Pakistan. Sachin Tendulkar is a great of the game and also my favourite. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar pair were the best”. When it comes to bowling I used to look at Zaheer Khan. When Indian and Pakistan would face each other, I used to like Wasim Akram too has he was also a left-arm seamer,” Shami said during that chat with Manoj Tiwary.
Mohammed Shami who has become the cornerstone of India’s bowling has improved leaps and bounds since making his debut. He has already picked 180 Test wickets and 144 ODI wickets so far in his career. The fast bowler also fondly remembers his early days with Kolkata Knight Riders when Wasim Akram was the bowling coach. Shami was also a teammate of Zaheer Khan when the duo played together for Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
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“When I was in KKR I realised all the values and skill associated with Cricket. I watched Wasim Akram all my life on Television, but with KKR I had a chance to learn from him. Initially, I was not even able to talk to him. Zaheer Bhai and I have not played much cricket together, but when I got the opportunity at Delhi Capitals he was very helpful. He is very experienced and I wanted to learn how he bowled with the new ball,” he added.
Shami last played an international match in New Zealand over a month ago in the Test series. He was scheduled to play a key role in the IPL for the Kings XI Punjab this season. Unfortunately, the tournament as of now has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
