Basking amid the glory of his incredible 201* against Afghanistan, Glenn Maxwell has lavished rich praises for India fast bowler Mohammed Shami.
After being on the bench for India’s first four matches in the World Cup 2023, Mohammed Shami rocked up and boosted India’s bowling attack with his sensational performances. He’s the only Indian in the top 7 wicket-takers in the tournament, at the time of writing, and he’s done that in only four games.
Mohammed Shami has snapped 16 wickets in 4 outings, averaging a scarcely believable 7 and striking every 9.75 deliveries.
The inclusion of Shami in India’s playing XI has led to the fans hailing this 5-man Indian bowling attack – comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav – as not just India’s best-ever attack, but arguably the strongest bowling attack in ODI World Cup history.
Mohammed Shami is India’s leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup with 47 scalps in only 15 games, having a strike rate of only 15.5 with 3 five-wicket hauls – only Indian with multiple five-fers.
Mohammed Shami late outswing is so difficult to face: Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell, who is in a destructive form in the World Cup 2023, gushed in praise for Mohammed Shami, and especially his upright, straight seam presentation, something which every commentator regularly marvels at whenever Shami is bowling.
Maxwell pointed out that even if a batter survives the new-ball burst from Bumrah and Siraj, Shami makes the batsman’s life difficult.
“Mohammed Shami’s seam is the straightest thing in the world. The carpenter’s would love to get a straight angle. Shami is too good with the new ball. We know how good Bumrah is and Siraj is a wicket taker so he might be the guy, one can try and taken on. But his late outswing is so difficult to face,” Maxwell said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.
Talking about Maxwell’s performances, the ‘Big Show’ has plundered 397 runs at a strike rate of 152. He has walloped 22 sixes so far, which is the joint-most in the tournament with Rohit Sharma.