After Mohammed Shami’s remarkable seven-wicket performance in the semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, former Pakistani captain Wasim Akram praised the Indian fast bowler, highlighting the precision of his deliveries that consistently hit the stumps.
In an interview, Akram expressed his enjoyment of watching Shami’s bowling, particularly when he opts to go around the wicket against left-handed batters.
Akram stated, “I enjoy watching him (Shami), the way he bowls, as Misbah mentioned, going straight around the wicket to left-handers, utilizing seam, consistently posing questions, and ensuring his deliveries stay within the stumps.”
During the second innings, Shami played a crucial role by dismissing the top five New Zealand batters, contributing significantly to the ‘Men in Blue’ successfully defending the 398-run target. Shami was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding figures of 7-57 in the semi-final.
In the meantime, Misbah-ul-Haq commented that whenever Shami bowls around the wicket to left-handers, a wicket always seems imminent. “A special thing is that when he goes around the wicket to left-handers, you can close your eyes and understand that a wicket is about to fall,” remarked Misbah.
Currently, Shami leads as the highest wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023, with 23 wickets from six World Cup matches. His stellar performance left the New Zealand team without a response, leading India to a commanding 70-run victory.