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India’s fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, has become a mainstay of bowling attack in all three formats. But just a few years ago, things were going downhill for the Indian sailor. In an Instagram live chat with teammate Rohit Sharma, Shami spoke about the darkest moments of her life.
Speaking to Rohit, the 29-year-old recalled the injury he sustained at the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which saw him lose 18 months of cricket. “When I got injured in the 2015 World Cup, after that it took me 18 months to fully recover, that was the most painful moment of my life, it was a very stressful period,” Shami said according to the ANI news agency.
He also added that he went through some personal problems in his life after he returned to cricket. “When I started playing again, I had to go through some personal problems, I think if my family didn’t support me I wouldn’t have done it, I also thought about committing suicide three times,” he said.
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Shami’s disclosure of suicidal thinking once again highlights the importance of mental health in an athlete’s career. Not so long ago, former India player Praveen Kumar had revealed his thoughts of ending his life when things had gone downhill for him.
Shami’s life was turned upside down when his wife accused him of adultery, domestic violence, and match fixing in March 2018. The central pacemaker contract was suspended by BCCI until the investigations were completed. He, however, was acquitted by the board of settling charges and appeared at Delhi Daredevils in that IPL year. On a personal front, it was just the beginning of a long legal battle with his wife.
“Someone used to stay with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it was not mentally good, my family was there for me, if your family is there, you can overcome any situation,” Shami added. “If my family weren’t there, then I might have taken a bad step, but I thank my family for being with me all the time,” he said.
Shami was last seen in action during the two-test series against New Zealand. The pacemaker would have been in action for Kings XI Punjab if the IPL had started on March 29.
(With ANI inputs)
