Since 2018, the Indian pace attack has thrived at home and away. Mohammed Shami has taken 61 wickets in 21 Tests. Shami led the pace attack of the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, taking 20 wickets in 14 matches. He was as deadly with the new ball as he was with the old. His yorkers were spot on and his bowling rhythm was smooth. In an interview with THE WEEK during the IPL in the UAE, Shami talked about the series in Australia and the key to his success. Excerpts:
Q/You had a successful IPL. What aspect of your bowling are you enjoying the most?
A/When you are given the opportunity to lead the bowling attack, it becomes very important to back yourself and your skills and execute them. That is what I enjoy the most.
Q/So, you enjoy being a leader in the bowling unit, digging into your experience?
A/Yes, the weight of responsibility is more. But, as a senior, I always try to ensure that the other bowlers remain positive. When they do that the chances of executing plans become better.
Q/Do you think you have cracked the T20 code, considering there will be a series Down Under and then the T20 World Cup in 2021?
A/I always strive to improve. In the IPL, for example, we did not start well. But we came to a point where we had to back ourselves, defend five runs in a super over. That was the turning point. It is important to be a good learner, to be hungry to learn even during adverse results.
Q/Would you call yourself a complete bowler now?
A/Whatever the format, I want to use the skills accordingly. If you tell me to use yorkers in a Test match, it would not help. I did not get enough opportunities earlier to showcase all my skills. In the last two years, I have got that opportunity. I used to always believe in bowling yorkers. I have done that at international level, too, but just that with more opportunities it gets better.