Indian pacer Mohammed Shami did not play the first four matches of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as the management was looking to provide a balance to the playing 11. Shami is a world class bowler but he had to sit out as India played with in-form Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as the two genuine pacers in the side and Hardik Pandya as the pace-bowling all-rounder. But Pandya's ankle injury meant that there was no other option but to play Shami and two spinners. India have missed their sixth bowler with his combination but fortunately for them they have not required that bowler so far. 


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Shami is expected to start again in the playing 11 vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede, which has something for all the bowlers. Shami has 9 wickets in just 2 games of the World Cup as he picked a five-for vs New Zealand before demolishing England with a four-wicket haul.


At the top of his game right now, Shami once wanted to end his life due to turmoil in his life. In a chat with his captain Rohit over the Instagram LIVE thre years ago, he had revealed he thought of committing suicide three times during a low phase in his life. Shami told Rohit that the most painful tome in his cricket was in 2015 when he had to miss 18 months of cricket since getting injured midway through the World Cup in Australia. However, there were major personal issues that were going to come up in the next couple of years which led to suicidal thoughts. 


"When I started playing again, I had to go through some personal issues, I think if my family did not support me I would not have made it, I also thought of committing suicide three times,” Shami had said.



"Someone used to stay with me 24*7, I was not well mentally, my family was there for me, if your family is there then you can get through any situation,” Shami added. “If my family was not there then I might have taken a bad step, but I thank my family for being with me throughout,” he further said.


For the unitianted, Shami's wife Hasin Jahan accused him him of adultery, domestic violence and match-fixing in March 2018. His life turned upside down as BCCI put his central contract on hold. However, he was back as a centrally contracted player after the investigations found that he was not involved in match fixing.


Today, Shami is one of India's top pacers today, across formats. During the pandemic, the pacer built nets at his farmhouse in Uttar Pradesg and continued to practice bowling. He did that out of his pocket so that he is not out of touch with the world coming to a standstill due the coronavirus pandemic.