Calcutta, May 23: At IPL 2022, the rookie Gujarat Titans’ attacking pace has been the best in the tournament, picking 25 scalps, eleven of which have been bagged by their spearhead Mohammed Shami at an average of 20. Now, in On the eve of Qualifier 1 against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens, Shami stated that his intention has been to make the most of the new ball in power-play.
“In my opinion, if your ball is very good, then it’s very difficult to hit it. My approach has always been, that it’s in tune with the team plan, that you make the most of the new ball with your swing, and as everyone knows, the cue ball swings only for two or four overs. If the ball swings, use it to the fullest,” Shami said in the pre-match virtual press conference.
Shami also felt that having experience on his side helped him keep his focus away from mixing too much in the game’s shorter format. “You can say experience as it’s really important to stay in control and focus on your line and length is extremely crucial. When you play the T20 format we have a lot of indicators in mind that you’re playing a short format and we need more slow, bouncy and we tend to focus a lot on variations. Gujarat playing their Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens also marks Shami’s return home to the place where he plays for Bengal in domestic cricket and also made his Test debut for India in 2013.
“One feels very happy when he returns to play in a field where he debuted and if it is the hometown, then much happier. As far as I am concerned, Eden’s wicket is concerned, having played so many games and won experience playing everywhere on the Indian grounds, you get excited when the crowd at Eden cheers you on, which is a lot of fun.” “The feeling of playing at home is a very different feeling. Also, using the wicket depends on the conditions, which is not of much use in T20 cricket. But yeah, at home, you tend to know certain things like size and the support of the crowd. When asked how he would plan to take out tournament run leader Jos Buttler on a power play, Shami noted that he would back his skills regardless of who the hitter was.
“Good rest, good sleep. It doesn’t matter. As a player, as a (fast) pitcher, I don’t think you should think about who gets the most runs or who hits. Every player has weak spots and areas of weakness. You just have to play with their abilities, back each other and believe. I always believe in myself and I don’t see the name at all. I believe in myself and my abilities.”