Mohali: India pacer Mohammed Shami is in the form of his life and he wants to carry that into the World Cup beginning May 30, the pacer said after his selection Monday.
“I am thankful to almighty Allah that I have got another chance to play in the World Cup for my country. I am in the best shape of my life, I am in good rhythm and I just want to carry this to the World Cup,” Shami, who turns out for IPL team Kings XI Punjab, said.
He said that he has been continuously working on his fitness. “I am feeling same rhythm I was feeling at the start (international debut in 2013),” he added.
“From players to coaching staff to management, everyone has backed me, now it is my turn to repay,” the 28-year-old, who has 113 wickets from 63 ODIs, said.
The in-form Indian pacer also attributed his successful ODI comeback to his good Test performances over the last one year.
“It has been a long journey. I played the 2015 World Cup, then got injured and it took me two years to recover. After the rehab, I made it to the 2016 World T20 squad. Then after a while, I got full confidence and felt like I was back on track.
“You saw in 2018, I played regular Test cricket. The confidence level is very high, I am bowling with the same speed that I used to earlier. Hope I can continue this,” he said.
About Kings XI Punjab, who have won four of eight games played so far, Shami said the team has the ability to bounce back from back-to-back losses.