T20 World Cup 2022: Mohammed Shami claims he is ‘always ready to perform’, says THIS about Arshdeep Singh

Mohammed Shami had been missing from the Indian T20 squad since his lacklustre show in the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. The West Bengal pacer was instrumental in Gujarat Titans winning the IPL 2022 title in their debut season, claiming 20 wickets from 16 matches at an average of just 24.4. An injury to Team India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah opened the doors for Shami’s selection for the T20 World Cup 2022 and he hasn’t looked back since then.

Bumrah’s stress fracture of the back, an injury to Deepak Chahar, and Avesh Khan’s loss of form forced the team management to call Shami back for the mega event. “It all depends on preparation, and the team management always tells you to get ready,” Shami said in the mixed zone after India beat Bangladesh by five runs in Adelaide on Wednesday (November 2).

“As and when the team requires, you will get the call, is what we are always told. If you have seen my videos, I am never out of practice and I always continue with my training,” the veteran of 200-plus Test wickets said.

Cooling his heels since playing on the tour of England, Shami was called back for the twin T20 series against South Africa and Australia before COVID-19 laid him low. “It’s not always easy to switch from one format to another red and white balls. It’s about how well you are connected with the team and how well you bond with them,” Shami spoke about his relationship with current setup.

“These are things that depends, and secondly, yes, I am playing T20Is after last World T20 and I agree that a player needs confidence and flow more than the colour of the ball. Obviously you need practice,” Shami, who normally bowls one change and in the middle overs, added.

Incredible win in Adelaide today. The team's character shone right through as we kept trying. Credit to everyone for this memorable win. Melbourne next and onto the semis! #mdshami #mdshami11 #teamindia #t20worldcup #india pic.twitter.com/K7EDMHdb7Y — Mohammad Shami (@MdShami11) November 2, 2022

“Call it experience, I am always ready. If you see me in matches, I am always bowling with new ball but when it comes to practice, I normally choose semi new or old ball. If you get that benefit during the game, it’s good. Just that you need confidence that you can execute it in match situation,” he said.

Executing the plans during death overs is all about having a tough mindset and keeping calm under pressure, according to the seamer. “I always believe that you should have faith in your skill sets, and in these situations, you need to remain calm, and years of experience comes in handy. When the ball gets wet, there are 50 things that play on your mind and primarily whether you will be perfectly able to execute your plans or not,” he explained.

He supplemented his logic by explaining why Arshdeep Singh was given the last over in the match against Bangladesh. “There were 20 runs left and it was the skipper's choice and you want to look ahead. Also his yorkers were spot on so the skipper might have wanted to boost his confidence,” Shami said.

While India had an advantage once the match was curtailed, Shami was confident that 185 was defendable, despite a good start by Litton Das. “185 is a good T20 score on any day and on any surface. Yes, rain did come and that's a different thing. When the target was revised, they needed nearly 10 runs an over (85 off 9 overs) and it wasn't easy. The ball was becoming wet and it became close, but the skill and quality shown by our boys, good for us,” Shami said.