Indian cricketer in focus: Shami Ahmed - Rising above the ordinary

A promising seamer, Ahmed makes up for his lack of lethality with his accuracy and miserly economy. His tendency of bowling tight lines to frustrate the batsmen and occasionally moving the ball away from the right-hander proves effective in limited over matches as is evident from his remarkable debut in national colors against Pakistan.

With inexperience looming over him, he managed to sustain the pressure of a low-scoring tie as he returned with an economy rate of 2.55 in nine overs that included four maidens and the record of being the first Indian to do so on his ODI debut.

With the Indian team boasting of established and specialized talent, Ahmed, with his dearth of creative uniqueness, seemed to be a misfit. He wasn’t a commercialized product of the IPL like Ravindra Jadeja or Ajinkya Rahane; his claim to reluctant fame was typically orthodox. It was domestic cricket that spat him into the big stage as he capitalized on every half chance that came his way.

The backdrop of his dream debut for India was firmly set by his spectacular performances in the Ranji Trophy that season. His impressive haul of 28 wickets in only five matches, including two ten-wicket match hauls against Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad, proved adequate enough to earn him a place in the Indian dressing room.

Having an experience of only 15 first class games till then, even the desperate optimists expected him to squander away his opportunity. But Ahmed nurtured something else in his mind as he went to impress the selectors and critics alike in his very first international match.

“He called me in the morning of the match to inform that he was playing and sounded nervous. I told him to treat it as a Ranji Trophy match where he is bowling for Bengal. What made me proud is that he bowled four successive maidens,” reveals Ahmed’s coach.

The tour of Zimbabwe may prove to be the biggest break of Shami’s international career. Boasting of uncapped names, the squad is expected to provide much needed exposure to Ahmed’s abilities and one only hopes that he capitalizes on this opportunity like always.

Clearly, the stakes have turned for the medium pacer who looks set to prove himself better than being just a bench-warmer. While the name comes with a guarantee of miserly economy, the tour will be deemed perfect if his characteristic run-up manages to rattle a few stumps.