Mohammed Shami had humble beginnings growing up in Uttar Pradesh. He then played national-level cricket for Bengal before making it to the Indian cricket team
Mohammed Shami can be seen clicking photos with his fans.Β© Instagram
He earlier revealed during the selection trials for Uttar Pradesh, his brother talked to the chief selector about why he was not getting selected but his reply stunned them.
“My brother was told, ‘Agar meri kursi hila sakte ho to ladka select ho jayega, bohot acha hai, warna sorry‘ (If you can move my chair, the boy will be selected). My brother gave one reply ‘forget moving the chair, I can turn it upside down, I have that much power.’ But I don’t want that, if I have the capability I should selected. He was told that people with capability are of no use here. My brother tore up the form and said that after today we will not involve ourselves in UP cricket. That was my last day in UP cricket,” Mohammed Shami said during the interview.
“Then I moved to Calcutta at the age of 14-15. I talked to my coach. I became steadfast that I have to play. I was getting lot of experience. After three-four years, I went to Arun Lal academy. It was a cement pitch. The place for run-up was short. I was surprised. But still I bowled. Then they told me to have lunch. I was against surprised as they gave break and chickpeas curry. I thought I will get rice and daal too.
“I got experience and got an offer from a club, but they were not paying. The struggle went on and then one day I was given Rs 25,000 by a club official.”
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
