Md. Shami with his younger brother Md. Kaif in Kolkata. Image Source: Xtra Time[/caption]Kolkata: The biggest positive to have evolved from the recently concluded test series against West Indies is the form of fast bowler Md. Shami. It was heartening to see the Bengal pacer striking rhythm in his comeback series after a long injury lay off. Shami was the second highest wicket taker with 11 wickets. The speedster recently celebrated his 26th birthday along with his wedding anniversary. In an exclusive interview to Xtra Time, Shami spoke about his comeback, his fitness mantra, forthcoming NZ series and so on. Here are the excerpts:
Would you say it was a comeback of sorts for you in West Indies?
I would say yes, it was a sort of comeback for me playing after a long break. I was playing after a long gap of almost 18 months .There is always pressure to perform after coming back from injury. You are always tense about how your body will react to the rigors of the game.
Virat has heaped praises on the rhythm with you bowled. What was your training schedule during your rehab?
First of all I put in a lot of hard work during my rehab at NCA. I worked on my strength particularly. As far as line and length is concerned it comes with a lot of practice. My focus was always on getting back the strength.
Shami, history suggests it has always been tough for an Indian bowler to get back the same rhythm immediately coming from an injury. What is the secret behind getting back the same rhythm?
As you know knee injury is serious for any sportsman and more so if you are a fast bowler. I would say hard work is the only secret. I cannot speak about others. But I have really worked hard, training for almost 6-8 hours a day. I always kept the focus of getting back the same rhythm.
How tough was it really?
It was really tough, particularly the first two months. I was advised by the doctors to take complete bed rest. I must thank my wife for all the sacrifice she has put in during my recovery period. I used to get up in the morning and head straight to the gym. This was my practice for the next six months. Later I worked hard on getting back my strengths at NCA. I am grateful to all the staff who worked with me at the National Cricket Academy.
Virat often talks about aggression. As a fast bowler how important it is to be aggressive?
I feel you need to be aggressive on the field. At the same time you also need the have the hunger to do well.
You will have a huge responsibility in the upcoming series against New Zealand at home. What are your thoughts?
Yes, it will be an interesting series against New Zealand. I will try to give as many breakthroughs with the new ball. That will make the job of the spinners a lot easier as the wickets are likely to assist them.
New Zealand boasts of having Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill in their batting line up. How are you going to plan against them?
Well if they have three star batsmen we have six (laughs)
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