[Watch] ‘UP Wale Laat Mar K Bahar Kar Dete The’ – Mohammed Shami Reveals the Reason Behind Moving to Bengal from Uttar Pradesh
Mohammed Shami hails from Uttar Pradesh but plays domestic cricket for Bengal
Mohammed Shami, originally from Uttar Pradesh, shed light on why he chose to represent Bengal in domestic cricket.
Shami, renowned for his rapid pace and wicket-taking prowess, exposed the harsh treatment he received from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) in his early days.
Despite dedicated efforts, he was consistently left out of the Ranji Trophy selections. He also brought to light a disturbing incident involving his brother, who was threatened by the head of UPCA.
Here’s what Mohammed Shami said:
“I underwent trials for UP for two years. Everything used to go smoothly, but when the final round approached, they would dismiss me, saying I had no place there. I would respond, ‘It’s okay; I’ll try again next year.’ My brother lived with me, observed everything; he was very sharp. The following year, they repeated the same treatment. There were 1600 boys, and they had to assess them within three days for selection in the Ranji Trophy team. I wondered, what could they accomplish in three days?”
“My brother approached the chief, the head of the UPCA, and attempted to have a conversation. However, the head gave an unexpectedly harsh response. He said that if you are capable enough of touching my chair, I will select your brother, else I am sorry. In response, my brother confidently said that not only could he touch the chair, but he could also overturn it. Despite having that power, he didn’t want to go down that path. So, my brother tore apart the form and said that I wouldn’t play for UP anymore.”
Watch Video: Why Mohammed Shami Chose Bengal Over Uttar Pradesh?
Mohammed Shami stands among the elite in world cricket today. He finished the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 24 wickets in just seven matches with the best economy rate of 5.26.
