Top Indian player, Mohammed Shami, expresses no problem with folks echoing ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ Equally, he admits he’d freely utter ‘Allahu Akbar,’ if the desire struck him.
Jai Shri Ram chants rang out throughout the country as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently opened the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. While the whole country welcomed the major event, a few isolated occurrences caused worries among some.
Mohammed Shami was questioned on the targeting of religious minorities in India during News18 India’s ‘Chaupal’ program. Downplaying the worries, he responded:
“In every religion, you will come across 5 to 10 people who won’t like the person from the opposite religion. I don’t have any objection against it. Like how the topic of Sajda came up… If Ram Mandir is being built, then what’s the problem in saying Jai Shri Ram? Say it 1,000 times. If I want to say Allahu Akbar then I will say it 1,000 times… what difference does it make?”
Mohammed Shami
The Indian Express published a report that touched on the 2023 ODI World Cup’s Sajda controversy. In this report, the 33-year-old athlete spoke about a prevalent claim. Allegedly, it was stated that he feared performing a Sajda when he bagged five wickets in a league match against Sri Lanka. He refuted this claim strongly.
“I was bowling a fifth over in a row, I think, and was bowling with effort beyond my ability. I was tired. The ball was beating the edge so often, so when I finally got that fifth wicket, I went down on my knees. Someone pushed me, so I moved forward a bit. That photo was widely circulated across social media. People thought I wanted to do Sajdah but didn’t. I’ve got only one advice for them, please stop such nuisance.”
Mohammed Shami
In the 2023 World Cup, Mohammed Shami led in getting the most wickets. He snagged 24 of them in seven games, his average being 10.71.
Mohammed Shami out of action since World Cup final
A seasoned right-arm bowler was sidelined because of an ankle problem after playing the 2023 ODI World Cup’s final match. In it, India faced a defeat against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
At first, his name appeared for the India team for the South Africa Tests. But, later it was removed; his fitness was not up to standard.
Mohammed Shami didn’t make the cut for India’s initial two Tests in the current series against England. It’s also probable he won’t join for the remaining three matches.