How the Kolkata maidans shaped UP-born Mohammed Shami

Growing up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district, where life revolved around sugarcane fields and mustard farms, Mohammed Shami's rise to international cricket seemed improbable. Yet the son of a farmer somehow defied the odds to become one of India's greatest fast bowlers.

Fast bowling ran in the family. Shami's elder brother, Haseeb, was known locally for his pace before injuries curtailed his career. Determined to give his son a chance, father Tousif Ahmed sent Shami to train under coach Badruddin Siddique in Moradabad, 22 km from their village of Sahaspur, Alinagar. The road was far from smooth. Shami failed to make Uttar Pradesh age-group teams for three successive years before an unexpected opportunity changed everything.

A Kolkata club approached Siddique looking for a fast bowler and the coach immediately recommended his most promising pupil. Within days, a 16-year-old Shami boarded the Punjab Mail to Kolkata. Playing for Dalhousie Athletic Club in the Maidan circuit for Rs 500 a match, Shami soon caught the eye of Town Club official Debabrata Das, who signed him for Rs 70,000 a season and accommodated him at his home.

Unlike many modern cricketers, Shami had little interest in gyms or weight training. He preferred running and long bowling spells. His fondness for biryani became legendary in Kolkata's club circuit, with officials jokingly motivating him with promises of a plate after a match-winning spell.

Breaking into Bengal's senior side remained difficult until then chief selector Sambaran Banerjee spotted him in a local match against Eastern Railway.

"I watched him from beside the sightscreen. He took four wickets bowling with the wind. I asked the captain to bring him on against the wind and he took two more. I knew immediately this boy could spearhead India's attack one day," Banerjee recalled. What impressed him most was a trait that would later become Shami's hallmark.

"His seam position and release point were exceptional. That very evening I pushed for his inclusion in the Bengal squad." Shami repaid that faith by claiming three wickets on his Ranji Trophy debut against Assam at Eden Gardens in 2010.

Former Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary remembers being struck by his smooth action and natural pace. "He was a lambi race ka ghoda," Tiwary said. He also points out the influence Wasim Akram had when the Pakistan great joined Kolkata Knight Riders as bowling coach. "Shami wasn't a regular in the XI initially, but I saw how Akram worked on his game," Tiwary recalled.