Former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun has come out in strong support of the Indian veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been away from the Indian team for 545 days so far. Notably, he is currently playing the Duleep Trophy final for East Zone.
Speaking to Indian Express, Arun reckoned that there is still plenty of cricket left in the veteran pacer, adding that his age shouldn’t be a factor. Notably, the Bengal pacer has played 100 first-class games
“They shouldn’t have closed the door on Shami. There is still plenty of cricket left in him. When someone is performing, age shouldn’t be a factor. You see his durability. It is an outstanding number for the kind of talent he possesses. It is actually befitting for Shami. 100 first-class matches with what he loves most, the red ball,” Arun said to Indian Express.
Further, the former bowling coach asserted that Shami’s commitment remains constant regardless of the format. He went on to add that Shami’s approach reflects his connection to fast bowling.
“He loves bowling. It doesn’t matter whether it is in the nets or in the middle of a game. You give him the red ball, or any ball for that matter, he would mark his run-up and start bowling. Some days he would turn up at the nets and say ‘I don’t want to bowl’. But in a matter of a few minutes, he would grab the ball and start bowling. And then you can’t stop him unless he bowls for 45 minutes to one hour. So that’s what makes Shami. He loves bowling irrespective of where he is,” Arun added.
“So the best way to stop Shami from bowling is, before he leaves the hotel, I will ensure he doesn’t wear his spikes to the ground. If he wears the spikes, then you know he is in the mood to bowl. He doesn’t talk much or share his emotional side, but he is someone who takes immense pride in being the fast bowler with the best seam position in the world,” Arun concluded.
