On Wednesday (13th December), Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami attended ‘Agenda Aaj Tak’. During his interview, he slammed the Pakistani social media handles who claimed that Shami stopped short of offering Sajda (prayer) on the ground in a match after taking the fifth wicket during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The anchor asked Mohammed Shami, “In a match, you took the fifth wicket and sat down on the ground. Then some social media handles from Pakistan claimed that ‘See, Mohammed Shami – an Indian Muslim – wanted to offer Sajda (prayer) but suddenly he was afraid and could not do it’.”
Mohammed Shami said, “If anyone wants to do Sajda, who will stop him? I won’t stop anyone from your religion from praying. You will not stop anyone from my religion from praying. If at all I want to do Sajda, I will do it anyway. What is the problem with it? I am a Muslim and I proudly say so. I am an Indian and I proudly say so.”
Mohammed Shami added, “If at all I had any problem with that, I should not have lived in India in the first place. Had I needed anyone’s permission to offer my prayers in this country, I would not have lived here. People have said a lot of things and even I have seen those things on Instagram. People are saying that I wanted to do a Sajda but I could not. Brother, have I done anything of that sort on the ground ever in my life before? I had taken five wickets before as well. I did not do Sajda at that time.”
Shami further said, “You tell me where I have to pray, and I will go and pray there. I will do it on every Indian platform I get. This is not done. We should change our thinking. These people think only about how to disturb us. They are not with me. Neither they are with you. They are not with anyone except gossiping. They do not love anyone and anything but gossip. All they need is content. They will take any content.”
About the five-wicket haul in that match, Mohammed Shami said, “Do you know how I took those five wickets? It was probably my sixth over. I was bowling with an effort that exhausted my energy limits. I already had three wickets. I was thinking that if I bowl even better in these 3 to 4 remaining overs, I will get five wickets. Because I already had three wickets. All I was thinking about was giving my 100 per cent. And in fact, I was giving my 200 per cent at that time. I was bowling better than my abilities.”
He further said, “I was tired. That batter was not getting out. I could beat him multiple times but he was not getting out. I was tired of this. When I got the fifth wicket I came on my knees. At that time, I lowered my neck. That’s it. People created different meanings out of that. These people are so free in their lives. I think they do not have anything else to do.”
Notably, Mohammed Shami had kneeled down for a few moments after taking five wickets against Sri Lanka, after which many Pakistani social media users started saying that the Indian bowler wanted to offer a Sajda but did not do it due to fear. Shami completed a five-wicket haul by dismissing Kasun Rajitha in the 13th over of the Sri Lankan innings. Shami took 24 wickets in seven matches – the most by any bowler in the tournament.
