‘Shoaib bhai suggested that I should reduce my big strides. So shortened my stride and it has worked’
The Indian team that has booked its top spot in the knockout rounds of the ongoing cricket world cup 2015 has looked markedly different from the listless group that lurched from one defeat to another in the preceding Carlton Mid Tri-Series. The primary reason behind has been the resurgence and improved performances of the faster bowlers led by Mohammad Shami.
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Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni must feel content with how his pacers have delivered so far, bowling out every opposition they have faced in the competition. He sure does happy to see that his bowlers are bowling according to the plans and the fields set for them, which allows him to do what he does best. “I'm best when the bowlers are bowling well.” said Dhoni, “It makes the job slightly easy for me because you have a plan.”
He credited the set of bowlers, with Shami leading the way with 12 wickets in 5 matches, for understanding his needs and plans, and executing them accordingly. “You may have two slips, but if the bowler bowls on the pads, it doesn't really look good. I feel that's where the remarkable difference has come from the bowlers end. They're bowling according to the plans. At the same time they're quite aware of the field and they're bowling according to the field, which is a big change. Also it is reflecting in our performance so far.”
Shami praised Dhoni for allowing him to operate with a free mind and letting him learn from his mistakes without putting any undue pressure. “I have made all my debuts [Tests, ODIs, T20Is] under his captaincy. I like the way he handles the team and handles me as a bowler. I am always free and I have never been tensed when he has captained the side. He is not someone who demands certain things from me. He is someone who has always told me about my mistakes and asked me not to repeat them in the future. He never gets angry. He will tell you things very calmly and handles the situation well which helps a bowler. The support of the captain and backing of your captain despite making mistakes is very important and he does that.”
Shami's cricketing path has crossed with a lot of the legendary bowlers including Sir Richard Hadlee (during his time in NZ), his KKR bowling coach Wasim Akram and others. Every opportunity he gets to meet these legends, he takes full advantage of their insights in to his bowling. “I want to try and learn from the senior players and bowlers on how they have bowled in different conditions and how it has worked for them. I try to understand what are the things I am doing wrong and what they have noticed about me that I can work on.”
One former speedster, Shoaib Akhtar, praised the maturity with which Shami and Umesh Yadav have performed for India in this World Cup. “50 wickets in 5 matches is an incredible task. I am glad to see such matured performances from Shami and Umesh in all the matches and I believe its not long before they are regarded as world-class bowlers.” Akhtar had said it's been a joy to watch these two bowlers enjoying their cricket and bowling beautifully.
After his pacy performance at Perth vs. West Indies where the deliveries he took his wickets were all on the right side of 140kmph, Shami had acknowledged the advice he received from Akhtar. “I did have a chat with Shoaib bhai and he suggested that I should reduce my big strides. So shortened my stride and it has worked.” He indicated that the change he implemented has allowed him to have a smooth run up which has contributed to an increase in his bowling speeds. “The recent change in run-up has surely increased my pace.”
He added that he and his fellow Indian pacers would look to continue the current effort and carry the bowling form in to the knock out stages. “We will try and continue to what we have been doing well till now and move on to the next stage. Our main focus would be to make minimum mistakes and continue with this flow.”
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