New Delhi: Having battled weight and injury issues himself, former Australia pacer and KXIP bowling coach Ryan Harris is not surprised at the benefits a ‘leaner’ Mohammad Shami has reaped after drastically improving his fitness levels.
Having shed around eight kilograms, Shami has been able to bowl with pace consistently. He has also been able to stay injury-free over the last 12 months, helping him become a much improved bowler and Virat Kohli’s go to man in the five-day format.
Harris, one of the stars of Australia’s 5-0 rout of England in the 2013-14 Ashes at home before a chronic knee injury cut short his career, could not be happier at Shami’s success over the last 18 months including in Australia.
“I don’t have to work much on him, he does it himself. He has been outstanding around the (KXIP) group, talking about plans, talking to me. Most guys want to pick his brains. If not the best, he is one of the best bowlers in the world at the moment,” Harris, who also works with junior Australian teams said.
Shami was one of the architects of India’s maiden Test series triumph in Australia earlier this year alongside Jasprit Bumrah, who has successfully defied convention with an unusual action which many thought could hamper his career.
“They (Shami and Bumrah) work well together. You have got Bumrah, who is a bit different and got pace and attacks where as Shami can just come in and ball stump to stump and does a fantastic job. It is pretty well rounded Indian attack, you have to say,” the former Aussie bowler said.
Talking more about Bumrah, Harris said: “He is very unique. If you listen to a lot of talk over the Australian summer, a lot of fast bowling commentators were saying that if he could just pull his arm front arm in, he will bowl quicker, I disagree with that.
“His action is unique, he bowls the way he does because of that action and he bowls with pace, you know he is just different. It is a difficult for a batter to face him, he is a bit like Malinga. That is his strength, he is not like anyone else.”
He closely tracked Indian bowlers’ performance in Australia and was left hugely impressed. “We have got a really good attack back in Australia but we were out bowled by India (in the series last summer). They way India bowled, we bowled that way in the 2013-14 Ashes. We did not give England an inch.
“But we could not do the same against India, we were not able to put sustained pressure and Pujara batted beautifully as well,” said Harris, who represented Australia in 27 Tests, taking 113 wickets.
