When are we going to see Shami Ahmad bowling for India?

[Trundler27]

http://www.bcci.tv/bcci/bccitv/index/viewarticle?article=50e9c38eb9530-ahmed-credits-success-to-akram-gambhir.html A 22-year-old Indian pace bowler is making his international debut against Pakistan. India are defending 167 and Pakistan need 25 runs from the last three overs with two wickets in hand. The captain calls on this debutant to bowl the 48th over and he responds with a wicket-maiden. The equation changes, the momentum shifts towards India and they emerge victorious by 10 runs. The debutant finishes with figures of 9-4-23-1. His name is Shami Ahmed. The slightly built, soft-spoken and level-headed young lad sure has a long way to go before great things can be predicted for him. But the start hasn’t been too bad. Even the most seasoned campaigners have been seen losing their nerve in situations as tense as this, but Ahmed displayed calmness, sensibility and solidity – the main ingredients that go into making a successful death bowler. Such was his discipline that it earned him praise from the man every fast bowler wants to be – Wasim Akram. The bowling legend, who also happens to be the bowling mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Ahmed’s IPL team, was pleased with the temperament his ward showed in a highly critical situation. After the game, Ahmed, who idolises Dale Steyn, caught up with bcci.tv and shared the pressure he felt when the game was inching towards a thrilling climax. He cherished receiving his India cap from his KKR captain Gautam Gambhir and had a special word of thanks for his teammates for making him look good with an outstanding fielding effort. How would you describe this game? Making my debut against Pakistan and performing pretty decently to help the team win – there’s not much more I could have asked for. Can you put the feeling in words when you got your cap? I’ve never been as happy in my life as I was the moment I got my first India cap. Gautam Bhai presented me the cap and told me that this is just the beginning. He said my aim should be to play for India for a long time. It was special coming from him. You were terrific during the whole spell but more so when you bowled the 48th over – a maiden wicket! I’m quite used to that situation when I play for Bengal because all the weight of the bowling is generally on [Ashoke] Dinda and me, especially in such situations. Having said that, international cricket is a different ball game altogether and there was pressure. The intensity is on a different level when playing against Pakistan. As a player, you’re perhaps much keener to do something special. But when bowling my last over, I decided to calm my nerves and try to do the sensible thing of stopping runs rather than going all-out for wickets. I knew as the run-rate goes high, the pressure on them will keep mounting. The team was fabulous in the field today. How much does that help? It makes a huge difference. As a bowler, even if I bowl a bad ball and don’t go for runs, it does boost my confidence. In fact, it motivates me further and I automatically tend to bowl follow it up with a good ball. It was very cold and it was difficult to keep the body warm and agile. Since the fielding was good, the intensity was high and that helped a lot. What has Wasim Akram’s biggest contribution been in your bowling? The small things that he’s taught me have made me a better bowler. Things like bowling with the old ball, reversing it and maintaining it, which line to bowl when you’re trying to reverse swing the ball. He’s taught me a lot when it comes to using the white ball. Have you had any help from Gautam Gambhir? As an opening batsman Gauti Bhai keeps telling me what a new ball should do to trouble the batsman. Every time I bowl to him in the nets [at KKR] he doesn’t only concentrate on his batting. He makes it a point to give me honest feedback on every delivery, which helps me improve.

[rkt.india]

Take it easy on me as I am already very upset after the loss today. Shami was really hyped up here where rkt and others were saying he swings it both way at 140+. First of all he doesnt. His effort ball was 139 and he was mostly bowling around 135. Secondy he was bowling too wide in his first spell and he was hit comfortably many times but the fielders resqued him. They saved atleast 20 runs of his bow

I never said he bowld 140+, get your facts right. I have always maintained he is 135-140 bowler who swings the ball. Regarding bowling outside off, that is a good tactics against Jamshed who is Graeame Smith part 2, has few shots off side, 1-2 balls were stopped by fielders that is their job to support bowlers. He was moving the ball in and away from Jamshed from around the wicket.

[CG]

I never said he bowld 140+' date=' get your facts right. I have always maintained he is 135-140 bowler who swings the ball. Regarding bowling outside off, that is a good tactics against Jamshed who is Graeame Smith part 2, has few shots off side, 1-2 balls were stopped by fielders that is their job to support bowlers. He was moving the ball in and away from Jamshed from around the wicket.[/quote'] I was disappointed with lack of movement more than pace,As its his first match he was tense ,But does he have a good outswinger?

[diga]

I never said he bowld 140+' date=' get your facts right. I have always maintained he is 135-140 bowler who swings the ball. Regarding bowling outside off, that is a good tactics against Jamshed who is Graeame Smith part 2, has few shots off side, 1-2 balls were stopped by fielders that is their job to support bowlers. He was moving the ball in and away from Jamshed from around the wicket.[/quote'] Shami Ahmed's pace in yesterdays match was almost comparable to B.Kumar, but he troubled Jamshed consistently with the bounce he was generating. On the Aussie wkts, Shami may be a handful

[rkt.india]

I was disappointed with lack of movement more than pace' date='As its his first match he was tense ,But does he have a good outswinger?[/quote'] He bowled mostly to Jamshed with the new ball and if you had watched he consistently beaten Jamshed with the ball going away and odd deliveries coming back which he inside edged several times. Certainly, there was movement. He is not a big swinger like BK, but a bowler who does it off the pitch not in the air. Don't understand if people even watched the match. He moves the ball both ways. The wicket of Ajmal, ball moved away. You wont see him swing like BK. In frst 5 overs, he bowled at least 4 overs to Jamshed. BTW, he has good outswinger. He seams the ball both ways, not just outswinger with what I have seen off him.

[Forever Indian]

He bowled mostly to Jamshed with the new ball and if you had watched he consistently beaten Jamshed with the ball going away and odd deliveries coming back which he inside edged several times. Certainly, there was movement. He is not a big swinger like BK, but a bowler who does it off the pitch not in the air. Don't understand if people even watched the match. He moves the ball both ways. The wicket of Ajmal, ball moved away. You wont see him swing like BK. In frst 5 overs, he bowled at least 4 overs to Jamshed. BTW, he has good outswinger. He seams the ball both ways, not just outswinger with what I have seen off him.

He seems more of a hid the deck seam bowler than a swing bowler. The good thing I liked about him was his balls were hitting the bat hard and bowling a disciplined line. I think he will be quite a handful in ODIs.

[express bowling]

Both Ganguly and Akram had said that he easily bowls 140+ . Dhoni had commented that he looked very sharp in the nets and he rarely praised anybody. Plus, in all the videos I have seen of him, he has looked quicker than yesterday. So, I wonder whether he was bowling within himself because of the cold, debut match and low total to defend.

[express bowling]

Dinda did hit the Pakistani batsmen in both the matches.

Yes, he did.

[saneindian]

So the pace merchants are disappointed because he didn't hit 140? lol

[express bowling]

So the trundler brigade are happy that he did not hit 140 k. :cantstop:

[NareshK]

Both Ganguly and Akram had said that he easily bowls 140+ . Dhoni had commented that he looked very sharp in the nets and he rarely praised anybody. Plus' date=' in all the videos I have seen of him, he has looked quicker than yesterday. So, I wonder whether he was bowling within himself because of the cold, debut match and low total to defend.[/quote'] I think he was probably bowling within himself and that too, it was his debut game and an India Pak match. He was also bowling with the new ball, defending a small score and had to keep the pressure on the batsmen and get wickets. So he probably didnt want to lose control and give away runs. His run up is athletic and has rhythm and looks like he can bowl much faster. He is only 23 and will get better. He was still bowling pretty quick though and was getting movement and troubled Jamshed consistently in his opening spell.

[vamos_rafa]

Lol at those who are sayin his pace was equal to Kumar. He was atleast 5 kmph quicker and is more of and delivering the ball on the seam. He relies more on seam than swing movement and at his pace can be handful even on Indian pitches, if groomed properly.

[NareshK]

^^B Kumar gets more swing though. Some of his inswing deliveries this series have been unplayable. It was against Pak batsmen :giggle: but still well bowled.

[CG]

He bowled mostly to Jamshed with the new ball and if you had watched he consistently beaten Jamshed with the ball going away and odd deliveries coming back which he inside edged several times. Certainly, there was movement. He is not a big swinger like BK, but a bowler who does it off the pitch not in the air. Don't understand if people even watched the match. He moves the ball both ways. The wicket of Ajmal, ball moved away. You wont see him swing like BK. In frst 5 overs, he bowled at least 4 overs to Jamshed. BTW, he has good outswinger. He seams the ball both ways, not just outswinger with what I have seen off him.

So he does not much swing it but gets some seam off the pitch.If he can get seam off pitch regularly he will very difficult to face .His mannerisms remind me of munaf.

[Old guy]

seaming of track is always more difficult to play.. english will play swing well but movement of deck will be handful even against them

[CG]

seaming of track is always more difficult to play.. english will play swing well but movement of deck will be handful even against them

Seam with swing is deadly.But yes seam is difficult but it depends on tracks also you need good height or pace.Shami has to get quicker.

[Old guy]

Seam with swing is deadly.But yes seam is difficult but it depends on tracks also you need good height or pace.Shami has to get quicker.

i think he has good pace def can improve it like he said even in interview he was thinking abt stopping runs...and on debut dont expect bowler to bowl at his best bhuvan through out the series has increased his pace a bit specilaly compared to debut...

[saneindian]

Team management needs to be wiser with these young pacers and not play them in all the games. An ovrdose of shorter format cricket early in their career will not help them in their development. Someone like Bhuvneshwar has been playing non stop cricket since November and if he plays all 5 ODIs vs Eng, would have played 10 international matches in a little over 4 weeks. Same with Ishant. Hopefully Dawes is keeping a track and we will see the pacers being rotated.

[rkt.india]

Shami's fastest and average pace yesterday. Mind you, this was cold day and bowling quick is not easy in such cold. BK's fastest and average pace yesterday. Ishant's fastest and average pace. So, on average Shami was marginally the quickest for us yesterday.

[Old guy]

people will still complain.. i guess they iwll prefer dinda just cos he is 3 kmph quicker then him