There are few better sights in the game than watching a fast bowler sprinting in and flinging the ball at high speed. A genuine pacer like Umran Malik has the ability to clock 150 kph consistently, while someone like Natarajan employs accuracy and precision to prove his worth at the death. The two belong to the new generation of Indian fast bowlers, who can bowl quick with plenty of contemporary cricket tricks in their bag. But Mohammed Shami stands out among the current crop, and not just for his pace and new-ball potency. Follow IPL 2022 Coverage
The 31-year-old is often bracketed among the bowlers with the best seam position in the modern world. He gets movement irrespective of the format and watching him operate with the new ball is almost like poetry in motion, perhaps because of the seam and wrist position combined with an upright action.
He might be India’s frontline pacer in the impending T20 World Cup, but Shami is delighted to see the fast bowling cupboard brimming with talent. A bunch of young quicks have made waves in the ongoing IPL edition. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohsin Khan is the latest among the crop with ten wickets in six matches.
Notably, Mohsin during the lockdown in 2020 had got a rare chance to train with Shami at his residential ground in Amroha. He picked up a lot of things during the sessions but Shami feels the 23-year-old quick still needs to develop his game plan, which will lay a strong foundation moving forward.
“Feels good to see that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands. It’s important for these youngsters to focus on their training and move forward in their career,” Shami said in response to a Hindustan Times query during a select media session on Friday.
“Talking about Mohsin, he used to practice with me. He is young and strong but needs to focus on his game plan. You’ve to prepare a routine both physically and mentally. If you build your set-up at a young age, it will reap benefits for many years. When we used to play, very few people used to know about cricket that’s played at a higher level. But today’s generation has a lot of options.”
“I feel the new crop of fast bowlers including Mohsin and Umran have a lot of confidence. I hope they do well for the country in the near future,” he further said.
SHAMI ON UMRAN MALIK’S METEORIC RISE
Shami is currently a part of Gujarat Titans’ star-studded bowling attack comprising the likes of Lockie Ferguson and Rashid Khan. The tournament entrants have already booked playoffs berth with Shami being the protagonist with the new ball. The Indian quick, who was bought for ₹6.25 crores at the February auction, has picked up 16 wickets so far in the tournament.
While the Bengal pace lynchpin remains a vital cog in India’s wheel, he feels pace sensation Umran can do without the blazing speed if he gets the ball to swing both ways. The 22-year-old Malik, who is a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad, bowled the fastest delivery, clocking the 157 kph mark in the current IPL.
“He has got incredible pace and a good future but still needs some time to mature, in my opinion. I still believe if you can bowl 140kph and move the ball both ways, then it’s enough,” Shami explained.
