With Mohammad Shami not selected in for the Australia white-ball tour, the pacer had a few weeks ago said that he was fit and his selection is in the hands of the selectors. On Tuesday, Shami showed what he was capable of once again wen he snapped by 8 wickets in a Ranji Trophy match at the Eden Gardens, helping Bengal win against Gujarat by 141 runs.
Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla backed Shami after the match to make a comeback to the Indian team. “Mohammed Shami doesn’t need certificate from anyone. He is a certificate in himself. He has the backing of his fans, media and the biggest selector of them all, who is right up there (God),” Shukla said as per PTI.
Shami also reiterated that he was ready to play for the country. “A lot of hard work is there and I believe luck too plays a part. Every person wants to play for the country. So, I am ready for that (again),” Shami told reporters.
“My motivation is to stay fit and be available for the Indian team at all times. In the ground, I will continue to perform and the rest is on the selectors’ hands,” he added.
He also talked about his comeback from injury and then playing domestic cricket.
“It’s a relief. Mentally, physically, it feels very good, because, you are coming back from such a difficult time (injury), and you stay on the ground after that. After that, all the things… Ranji Trophy, domestic season, white ball cricket, then IPL, Champions Trophy, then Duleep Trophy, and now these two matches. So, the rhythm, the flow was there. Now it feels like cricket is still there (left in me),” he added.
The seamer also said that he has asked the curators to prepare a green top at Eden Gardens as he believes the Bengal pace attack is one of the best in Indian domestic cricket.
“I had said earlier that we need a green top, because we have four pacers, one of the best in domestic cricket. If you can raise your voice, if you can say that it is better, because we have the opportunity, we have the ability to get six points, seven points if we are playing on green tops,” Shami said.
(With agency inputs)
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