World Cup 2019 | Mohammed Shami accredits weight loss for regaining his mojo with ball
Few years back, Mohammed Shami’s career was marred by recurring injuries; which was one of the reasons for him not cementing his spot in the Indian line-up. But the rejuvenated Shami has looked in a different rhythm in the last few months and a lot of its credit goes towards battling weight loss.
Indian pace spearhead Shami had enjoyed a productive 2014-15 season, where he scalped 50 wickets in 27 ODIs that included 17 wickets in the 2015 World Cup. Shami had also emerged as the second highest wicket-taker for India in the prestigious tournament. However, the following season saw Shami being sidelined due to recurring injuries and emergence of other pacers like Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Â
The impactful bowler had been prone to injuries and his career took a massive hit in the early stages because of this. But Shami has been fit like a horse in recent times and regained his glory with back-to-back impressive performances. He has been among the wickets of late and has inspired confidence with his pace and control. Since October 2018, Shami has accounted for 22 wickets in 13 ODIs, which is also the joint-highest for an Indian pacer alongside Bhuvneshwar.  Â
Shami faced a lot of issues with his knee during the previous World Cup and had a tough time combating it. He had to work hard on his health in order to sculpt a spot for the upcoming World Cup, which he has successfully managed to do. The present Shami is looking lean and has an apt physique for a fast bowler.Â
"If you have seen in the last 18 months, I have continuously worked on my fitness and have been constantly trying to improve my game, on what will be better for my team. Yes, I was a bit heavy after my injury and didn't play ODIs for an extended time. But I have played ODIs recently, especially in the last six months there have been some outstanding changes in my life," Shami said during a press conference ahead of Kings XI Punjab's match against Rajasthan Royals.
"I am happy with whatever I have achieved. I lost so much of weight, my body has that flow now and the rhythm, I feel, is similar to when I started (my career). I will try to maintain the same rhythm in the future for the World Cup. Like you've seen, there's a lot of difference (with my bowling) when compared to before, say three years back. I have done a lot of hard work, I've worked with the coaches and the confidence that I got with the Indian team, backing me when I was trying to improve my fitness levels, the management, the NCA, they all backed
Shami is all set to lead India’s pace attack in the upcoming World Cup and he sounded certain about his confidence level
"And whatever confidence that I have, in terms of my performance in the last seven-eight months, I want to carry that confidence and put my best foot forward for my team," he added.
