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PM’s praise after WC defeat a big relief: Shami in Amroha
“Such gestures are important (PM Modi meeting players). When the Prime Minister encourages you after that, it gives you confidence.”
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami on Thursday said he got surprised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered Team India’s dressing room to meet players after the team’s defeat in the cricket World Cup title clash with Australia on November 19. Even after losing, the PM’s praise was a relief, he added.
“Such gestures are important (PM Modi meeting players). When the Prime Minister encourages you after that, it gives you confidence. Because your morale is already down. It is something really different,” said Shami while talking to the media at his farmhouse in Sahaspur Alinagar village of Amroha district.
“Our team played like champions in 10 matches of the World Cup. Everyone was very excited and full of energy but the final day was a bad day for us. So can’t blame anyone but situation could have been better had the team managed to score 300 or more runs,” Shami said.
After arriving at his village on Thursday, he met his friends at the farmhouse after spending time with family. He said, “We were all very excited during night before the final. The team was confident and had prepared to enter the field in a planned manner. There was definitely pressure of a big match.”
In response to a question, Shami said, “I have no regrets about not getting a place in the playing eleven in the initial matches of the World Cup. It is important for me that India wins the match.” As soon as he reached home, Shami took blessings from his mother. He also shared this moment on social media. He wrote in the Instagram post “You are everything to me mother... I hope you feel healthy soon.”
Even though the Indian team lost in the World Cup final, family and teammates have expressed happiness over Shami’s excellent performance. Many people praised Shami on social media. Shami’s elder brother Haseeb said he shared things related to the team and the World Cup journey with the family.
Shami was one of India’s biggest stars of the World Cup. In India’s remarkable campaign that saw the team finish runners-up to Australia and register an unbeaten ten-match winning streak, Shami took 24 wickets in the tournament with the best bowling figures of 7/57.
He took three five-wicket hauls and broke several bowling records. He ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. Earlier this week, in a video shared by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi was seen motivating Rohit Sharma’s side and said the country is with them. He also said that they had worked hard in the tournament.
(With agency inputs)
