Retired Hurt: Mohammed Shami deserved a better farewell

ByTech Word News

Mohammed Shami (file photo) As tributes poured in from former players, fans and the BCCI following Mohamed Shami’s announcement in Test cricket on Friday, they all pointed to the same truth: India had said goodbye to one of its best pacers.In 13 years, Shami played 64 Tests, took 229 wickets and helped transform India’s bowling identity. Amid the praise, however, nagging questions lingered: Was he sufficiently appreciated in the closing stages of his career?Like several senior Indian cricketers before him, Shami’s Test journey ended not on the cricket field but through a post on social media. There was no farewell test between passionate fans in a full stadium. For a bowler who had such a massive impact on India’s fortunes, the end felt understated and incomplete.Former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed this sentiment emphatically. “Without him, the fast bowling unit wouldn’t work,” Shastri said on Sony Sports Network during Saturday’s second ODI in Wellington.The former coach was convinced that Shami still has a lot to offer. “I definitely thought he had another 30-40 wickets left in him. He should have played the last 12 months and he should have played Tests here.”Former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey shared a similar view.“Personally, I would like to see him represent India again, in Test cricket and also in other formats,” Mhambrey told TOI. “He’s played Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, he’s done well and honestly, he’s a joy to watch. He makes everything look so easy.”However, Mhambrey stopped short of questioning those who made the decisions, acknowledging that outsiders were unaware of conversations that may have taken place between Shami, the selectors and the team management.However, Shastri’s strongest criticism was reserved for repeatedly doubting Shami’s fitness despite his performances for Bengal in domestic cricket.“He bowled 15 to 20 overs a day. What more do you want from a player to prove his fitness?” asked Shastri.Shami’s final Test came in the final of the World Test Championship against Australia at The Oval in June 2023. It was like a forced dot for the bowler, who then went on to play domestic cricket.Ask Mhambrey what made Shami special and the answer comes quickly.“Very few players in world cricket had that look of an upright seam. As a batsman, you never knew if the ball was going to come or go. He kept questioning every ball.”This seam position has become Shami’s trademark. Few bowlers of his generation attacked the stumps so relentlessly. Of his 229 Test wickets, 101 were bowled or lbw dismissed.Mhambrey believes another underrated aspect of Shami’s success was his simplicity.“He didn’t run the data. He did things very simply. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted to prepare. There wasn’t a lot of noise around his process.”The numbers only underline how valuable he was. On spin-friendly home surfaces where fast bowlers often played supporting roles, Shami remained a match-winner. He took 76 wickets in India at an outstanding average of 22 and India did not lose any of the 21 home Tests in which he featured.Part of that success stemmed from an often-overlooked quality.“He surprised people with his pace,” Mhambrey said. “He was much faster than Batters felt. He had a great rhythm and he could repeat it over and over again. That’s why you saw so many dismissals and lbws.”Few teammates enjoyed facing him in the nets. Dinesh Karthik once described the experience as “torture”, while Shami’s fierce practice battles with Virat Kohli could have been part of many a highlight reel.Bowling has never been a chore for Shami. It was romance.During the Covid lockdown, he returned to his farm in Amroha, built clay practice tracks and spent hours bowling and jogging to stay sharp. This old-school philosophy, Mhambrey believes, defined an entire generation of Indian fast bowlers.“Shami, Bumrah, Ishant, Umesh, Bhuvneshwar, they bowled a lot. Skill came first. Fitness complemented that skill. If you want to be in control, you have to bowl. If you want to know your limits, you have to bowl.”Perhaps that’s why Shami earned the moniker “Second-Innings Shami”, a bowler whose threat often grew as the matches wore on. Mhambrey notes that his pace rarely dropped, his accuracy remained relentless and his upright seam attacked both edges of quality batters.Which makes it all the more ironic that he was never given a second innings in his own Test career.“On this 13-year journey, this cap and this ball have made me Mohammed Shami,” he said in a farewell message. “I fell, I hurt, I hurt. But I got back up for this badge.”For that, Shami deserved one last chance to retire on his own terms, but he probably retired hurt.THE BEST OF MOHAMMED SHAMIA rare combination of pace, seam movement and relentless accuracy made Mohammed Shami a match winner. Diptayan Hazra revisits five of his best test spells…

  • 5-47 vs West Indies, Kolkata, 2013: Shami announced himself in style on Test debut. On the slow Eden surface, he produced a sharp movement with the old ball and attacked the stumps. He finished with 5-47 in the second innings to tally figures of 9-118. Six of his wickets were bowled and one LBW, offering a first glimpse of his typical dismissal patterns.
  • 6-56 vs Australia, Perth, 2018: On one of the fastest pitches in world cricket, Shami produced the best figures of his Test career. With Australia struggling to set up the match in the second innings, he struck at regular intervals, using pace and seam movement to take 6-56. It is the only six-wicket haul by an Indian bowler in the Perth Test.
  • 5-28 vs. South Africa, Wanderers, 2018: Defending 241 on a live Wanderers surface, India looked set to lose as South Africa raced to 124-1. Enter Shami. Temper tore through the middle and lower order with a devastating spell of 5-28 to turn the match around.
  • 5-44 vs. South Africa, Pretoria, 2021: Shami spearheaded India’s attack in the opening Test, claiming 5-44 as South Africa were bowled out for 197 runs. His efforts helped India secure a decisive first innings lead of 130, setting the platform for a landmark victory. He scored three more in the second inning.
  • 5-35 vs South Africa, Vizag, 2019: Proof that Shami can be just as deadly on Indian pitches. After going wicketless in the first innings, he roared a superb 5-35 in the second, removing several key batsmen including skipper Faf du Plessis and Temba Bavum.