‘Plenty of reasons to stay motivated’ – Shami refuses to let hunger fade

Mohammed Shami: “Plenty of reasons to stay motivated”

• Age & Comeback: Turned 36 last week; out of national selection for 18 months.
• Duleep Trophy Final (Chennai): East Zone beat South Zone; Shami bowled 16 overs, 2/42 with reverse swing.
• Milestone: 100th first‑class match (64 Tests).

Key Quotes

“You play for the badge. When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn’t matter. Your hunger shows automatically.”

“There are plenty of reasons to stay motivated if you look for them. At any level, you must be self‑motivated and keep your eyes on the next level.”

“My approach is strictly about sticking to my line and length. If you can’t exploit reverse swing in this heat, what’s the point?”

“When your run‑up and rhythm are in sync, your line and length fall into place automatically.”

Performance Highlights

• First‑innings: East Zone posted 708 runs.
• Shami’s spell: 2 wickets (Shaik Rasheed, R Smaran) for 42 runs, maintaining tight line/length on a low‑bounce, hot surface.
• Adaptation: Noted contrast between Chennai’s benign conditions and the bowler‑friendly pitches in Bengaluru’s quarter‑/semi‑finals.

Mentorship

• Engaged with Mohammed Siraj during the match, urging him to return to his core strengths—run‑up, rhythm, and line/length.

Significance

• East Zone ends a 14‑year Duleep Trophy drought, coinciding with Shami’s 100th first‑class appearance.
• Shami emphasizes that effort and approach remain unchanged regardless of the match’s personal or historic weight.