A serious knee injury had left Mohammed Shami virtually immobile prior to India’s 2015 World Cup semifinal against Australia but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s assertion that he “can’t be replaced” in a big game spurred the pacer to take the field with painkillers.
The injury with which he was forced to play that day in Sydney could have been career-threatening as he had to undergo a surgery and after March 26, 2015, the next international he played was a Test in July, 2016.
“Before the semifinal I had told my teammates that I couldn’t take it any longer. On the day of the match, I was in a lot of pain. I discussed it with the management but they said it would be alright,” Shami told former India pacer Irfan Pathan in an Instagram chat.
“Mahi bhai, the team management gave me so much confidence. They said it’s the semifinal we cannot go for a new bowler,” Shami recalled.
In fact, Shami carrying an injury was the worst kept secret during India’s World Cup campaign in Australia. He would land up at training sessions with a heavily bandaged knee and play matches after taking pain-killing injections and fluid removed from the knee.
“I couldn’t walk after the matches I played throughout the tournament. I played the 2015 WC because of Nitin Patel’s confidence,” Shami said.
“The knee broke in the first match. My thighs and knees were the same size, doctors used to take out fluid from them everyday. I used to take 3 painkillers,” Shami told Pathan.
Dhoni kept telling him he could overcome the pain barrier, Shami said.
The target he was given was not more than 60 runs in 10 overs and he finished wicket-less for 68 runs in his quota of overs.
