Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami has expressed disappointment over Australian cricketer Mitchell Marsh’s act of placing his feet on the Cricket World Cup trophy after Australia’s victory over India in the final. The image of Marsh’s gesture quickly went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism from fans and fellow cricketers.
Shami, who was the highest wicket-taker at the World Cup with 24 scalps, stated that he was “hurt” to see Marsh disrespect the trophy in such a manner. He emphasized that the trophy represents the pinnacle of achievement in cricket and should be treated with utmost respect.
“The trophy for which all the teams in the world fight, the trophy which you want to lift over your head, keeping a foot on that trophy did not make me happy,” Mohammed Shami told reporters on Thursday.
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Shami also revealed his approach to assessing the pitch before a match. He explained that he prefers to observe the pitch’s behavior while bowling rather than inspecting it closely before the start of the game.
“Generally, bowlers check the pitch after arriving at the ground. I never go close to the wicket because you will know how it behaves only when you bowl on it. Then why take the pressure? It’s best to keep it simple, keep yourself relaxed, and only then you will perform better,” Mohammed Shami said in a chat with PUMA India.
In addition, Shami shared his thoughts on being initially left out of India’s starting XI in the World Cup. He acknowledged the importance of mental strength when facing such situations and expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance despite his personal absence from the playing XI.
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“When you sit out for four matches, you need to be mentally strong. Sometimes you are under pressure but when you see the team performing well and going in a good direction, it gives you satisfaction,” he added.
The Australian team is currently engaged in a T20I series against India. The first match of the series took place at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, with India emerging victorious by two wickets.
