Mohammed Shami is regarded as one of the premier fast bowlers for the Indian cricket team in recent times, yet his journey has been marked by numerous challenges. He was the top wicket-taker for India in the last three ODI World Cup tournaments, but his personal life has also attracted significant media attention.
Shami experienced a turbulent separation from his wife, Hasin Jahan, who filed a police complaint against him for domestic violence and accused him of match-fixing after allegedly receiving money from a Pakistani woman.
Though Shami was eventually exonerated from these allegations by the authorities, his friend Umesh Kumar revealed on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast that Shami had considered suicide during that difficult period.
‘Shami Was Fighting With Everything’
Umesh on the podcast shared, “Shami was fighting with everything during that phase. He lived with me in my house. But when the fixing allegations with Pakistan broke, and led to a probe that night, he was shattered. He said that I can tolerate everything but not allegations of betraying my country.”
‘He Was Standing On The Balcony’
Shami’s friend added, “It also came in the news that he wanted to do something drastic that night [end his life]. It was around 4 AM in the morning when I got up to drink water. I was on my way to the kitchen when I saw that he was standing on the balcony.”
He recalled, “It was the 19th floor we were living in. I understood what happened. That night of Shami’s career, I feel, was the longest. Later, one day, when we were talking, he got a message on his phone saying he got a clean chit from the committee that was investigating the matter. He was probably happier that day than he would have been if he had won a World Cup.”
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When Mohammed Shami Opened Up About His Struggle
In one of his earlier interviews, Shami opened up about his struggles during that phase. “It depends on what you prioritise more and then on the other person on how true his/her statements are. So when you know that the other person’s actions are invalid and not important to you, you should not leave your priorities,” said Shami.
He added, “If I had not been the Mohammed Shami, I am today, no one would have cared about my situation, and neither would the media be interested in it. Then why should I leave the thing that made me Shami. So you have to keep fighting.”
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