How Kolkata Maidans Shaped UP Born Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo) KOLKATA: Growing up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district where life revolved around sugarcane fields and mustard farms, Mohammed Shami’s rise to international cricket seemed unlikely. Yet the farmer’s son somehow defied the odds to become one of India’s greatest fast bowlers.Fast bowling ran in the family. Shami’s elder brother Haseeb was known locally for his pace before injuries curtailed his career. Determined to give his son a chance, father Tousif Ahmed sent Shami to train under coach Badruddin Siddique in Moradabad, 22 km from their village Sahaspur, Alinagar.The road was far from smooth. Shami failed to make the Uttar Pradesh age-group teams for three consecutive years before an unexpected opportunity changed everything.Siddique was approached by the Kolkata club looking for a fast bowler and the coach immediately recommended his most promising pupil. Within days, 16-year-old Shami boarded the Punjab Post for Calcutta.Playing for Dalhousie Athletic Club at the Maidan circuit for Rs 500 a match, Shami soon caught the eye of Town Club official Debabrata Das, who signed him for Rs 70,000 for the season and put him up at his home.READ ALSO: Retired Hurt: Mohammed Shami deserved a better farewellUnlike many modern cricketers, Shami had little interest in gyms or weight training. He preferred running and long bowling spells. His penchant for biryani became legendary on the Calcutta club circuit, officials jokingly motivating him with promises of a plate after a match-winning spell.Breaking into the Bengal senior team was difficult until chief selector Sambaran Banerjee spotted him in a local match against Eastern Railway.“I was watching him next to the screen. He took four wickets and bowled against the wind. I asked the captain to bring him against the wind and he took two more. I knew instantly that this boy could one day lead the Indian attack,” recalled Banerjee.What impressed him the most was the quality that would later become Shami’s hallmark.Shami repaid that faith by taking three wickets on his Ranji Trophy debut against Assam at the Eden Gardens in 2010. Former Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary remembers being struck by his fluid action and natural pace. “It was rasa lambi ka ghoda,” said Tiwary.He also points to the impact Wasim Akram had when the Pakistan great joined Kolkata Knight Riders as bowling coach. “Shami wasn’t a regular in the XI initially, but I saw Akram working on his game,” Tiwary recalled.