With ball in hand, obsession in his heart, pacer Shami gears up for comeback

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Indian pace veteran Mohammed Shami is preparing hard for his comeback to international cricket, with “ball in his hand and obsession in his heart”.

Shami posted a picture of him sweating it out in the nets, making it loud and clear through his caption that he is in the process of making a fine comeback so that he can “turn the game” for India.

“Ball in hand and obsession in my heart, ready to turn the game. #shami #mdshami #mdshami11,” Shami tweeted.

Shami’s last competitive cricket match was back in November when he played the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad, which India lost. Shami had a tournament to remember, as he amazed fans and experts alike with his pace and swing, taking 24 wickets in just seven games at an average of 10.70 and an economy rate of 5.26, with a four-wicket haul and three five-wicket hauls. His best figures were 7/57 against New Zealand in the semifinal.

Shami played through pain in that tournament and did not allow it to affect his performance. He missed the tour to South Africa following the tournament and the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January.

He underwent a successful recovery for an Achilles tendon injury back in February, which caused him to miss the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, which India won after beating South Africa in the final.

With 448 wickets in 188 international matches, including 11 five-wicket hauls, Shami is considered as one of the finest pacers of the modern era.