Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami has been enjoying great success over the past few years, especially in Test cricket and even finished as one of the most successful bowlers in the world last year.
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Shami has also decided to follow the ongoing trend on the social media, as he had an Instagram Live session with batsman Manoj Tiwary on Tuesday (April 21) where he has credited Zaheer Khan and Wasim Akram for developing his bowling careers properly.
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The star bowler also revealed that he was growing up looking up to Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer, and Akram and his Indian Premier League (IPL) stints with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) has been vital for him and played key role in his success at the highest level.
During the Instagram Live session, Shami told Tiwary: “When we were growing up, we used to witness that India and Pakistan used to be the most intense matches. Sachin Tendulkar is a great of the game and I looked up at him when I was growing up. The best pair was of Virender Sehwag and Sachin. When it comes to batting, I used to look up to Sehwag and Sachin.”
He added, “When it comes to bowling, I used to look at Zaheer Khan. When India and Pakistan faced off against each other, I also used to like Wasim Akram. Both Zaheer and Akram were left-arm bowlers,”
Meanwhile, Shami recalled his stint with the KKR when he got the golden opportunity to learn a lot of things from then bowling coach of the IPL franchise Wasim.
The pacer recalled, “When I came to KKR, I realized the skill and value associated with cricket. I watched Wasim Akram all my life on television, but with KKR, I had the chance to learn from him. For the initial days, I was not even able to talk to him. Wasim Bhai came up to me then, and he initiated the conversation with me and he started telling me things about bowling.”
He added, “He read me very fast, he realized what I am all about, I learned a lot from him. If you have someone experienced close to you, then you should not shy away and try to learn maximum things as well.”
On Zaheer, Shami noted: “Zaheer Bhai and I did not play much together, but whenever I got the chance to talk to him, he was very helpful. I spent time with him during IPL stint with Delhi Capitals, Zaheer Bhai is very experienced, I just wanted to learn how to go about bowling with the new ball.”
Noteworthy, Shami last played for India in the New Zealand series and was supposed to be in action for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL 2020 which was postponed indefinitely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
(With ANI Inputs)
