NEW DELHI: The
Cricket Association of Bengal
(CAB) celebrated its Annual Award Ceremony on Saturday, recognizing outstanding achievements in the sport. Among the honorees was India's star fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, who received a special award for his remarkable performance during the
Cricket World Cup 2023
.
During his acceptance speech, Shami expressed his desire to make a comeback to the Bengal team.
The fast bowler, who has been away from international cricket, aims to regain his place in the national squad by showcasing his skills in domestic tournaments.
"I definitely want to play for Bengal next season. I am looking forward to play two to three matches for Bengal in Ranji. It will help me to make a comeback in international cricket. I have been training at the NCA and I want to play as and when I am a 100 percent fit," Shami said, as quoted by IANS, whilst speaking during a talk show at the event.
Although Shami hails from Uttar Pradesh, he was discovered while playing first-class cricket for Bengal. After debuting in 2011, Shami played 15 first-class and 15 List A matches before being selected for India's ODI squad to face Pakistan in Delhi in January 2013.
Shami, who was felicitated for his outstanding performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023, said, "I can't thank Bengal enough. I was born in a family in UP where there was no opportunity. So I often say I was born in UP but made in Bengal. This is a journey of 22 years and I am so grateful to Bengal for making me what I am. The love and warmth Bengal has shown will never be forgotten. I want Women's cricket to come up in a big way. People should not discriminate and I would be very happy to see our families backing them."
India's speedster shared his thoughts on the upcoming
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
, set to begin in December. Shami believes that India are the favorites to defeat Australia in the five-match Test series later this year.
"I think India are favourites to win the series. In the last series in Australia, we played with a young team with a lot of senior players missing. But we proved we were the best. So I feel the next series will be competitive one and India will be victorious," Shami added.
English (US) ·