IPL 2019 | Wasn’t focused during Yo-Yo test which is why I failed, reveals Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami made his India debut in 2013 against West Indies and has been a mainstay in the India limited-overs and Test squad since then. However, the experienced West Bengal pacer Shami made headlines when he failed the Yo-Yo test at the National Cricket Academy ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan. 

However, Shami worked his way back into the national team as he convinced selectors to bring him back into India's ODI squad.  Shami proved himself during the New Zealand tour and also impressed with his performances for Kings XI Punjab in this edition of the Indian Premier League. The 28-year old bowler revealed that he was not mentally focused due to the ongoing personal problems which was why he ended up failing the yo-yo test.

"I had some family problems at that point of time. The fitness test didn't go well and I accept that I failed. But then, I wasn't even in that frame of mind where I could focus on the match against Afghanistan. I wasn't mentally prepared and had to undergo the Yo-Yo Test at that point in time and I flunked," Shami told TOI in a recent interview.

Shami, who picked 19 wickets in 14 IPL matches for KXIP, added that he believed himself all throughout the purple patch in his career and continued to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.

"I hadn't been playing white-ball cricket for a while but in the series against Australia, I gained in confidence and just looked to keep that going even in the IPL. Also, playing consistently for KXIP also helped me. Getting to play day-in day-out helps you perform and get the right momentum.

"I was just waiting for an opportunity as I had a good record in white-ball cricket. Waited for almost two years and I had it in mind that when I did get the chance, I will show what I could do. Always knew that I can adapt to the shorter format and bowl the line and length required to succeed," Shami added.