How 'desi training' helped Shami to excel

By: Bipin Dani

(Daily Mirror) - Indian pacer Mohammad Shami, who won the Player of the Match for his 7/57 in the first Semi Final against New Zealand in the ongoing World Cup is the best bowling analysis by an Indian in ODIs - going past Stuart Binny’s 6/4 against Bangladesh at Dhaka from 2014. He now has four five-wicket hauls in World Cups - the most for any bowler. Three of them have come this year. He is the fastest to 50 wickets in World Cups - getting there in 17 innings. 

"I need to run like a horse to be successful," the bowler once said. 

"Yes, he has been running like a horse in his own farm house here in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh", his personal coach Badruddin Siddiqui said in an exclusive chat. "He has made a ground in his farm house and whenever he is here, it has been his routine to run barefoot. He also invites other young boys to run with him and that's his new way of training".   

"In modern days, the cricketers prefer to visit the gym and do weight lifting exercises, whereas Shami trains in his farm house. We call it a "Desi Training'', the coach added. 

According to Ramji Srinivasan, who has worked with the Indian team in the past, Shami's training routine has helped him a lot.  

"Shammi has proven that his training routine is unique and has benefitted him immensely. As I keep saying, one program does not suit all. He has understood what suits him the best and embarked on it very successfully. He is in a similar line with Zaheer khan, Sreesanth, Munaf, Nehra and few others", Srinavasan says. 

"Shami had done his sessions in his village doing the basics right with his own training methods. Amazing to know how he has understood his body and what suits him. Running on the tilled land, running bare foot, sand running etc had made him lethal".
 
"Nothing glamorous about it but the results are amazing. Full Kudos to be given to his coachMr Budruddin Siddiqui for motivating him and thinking out of the box.
The results speak for itself to be the best in the world. Absolutely awesome to come out of lows in personal life and rip the opponents with his lethal bowling . To think out of the box, first is to think period", the trainer added. 

However, Deckline Leitao, who is a renowned sports conditioning and fitness specialist, believes no such thing as desi or videshi fitness training. There is either correct training that helps a player improve their fitness for the correct sport or incorrect training that overtrains them and gets them injured.

"In general if he was injured and is now able to bowl again then physiotherapy rehabilitation and fitness can be given credit. If his bowling speed has increased then again his power can be given credit".

"Now that Mohd. Shami has bowled well there are going to be claims about his training ‘secrets’ in videos, magazines, websites, etc which by the way he himself might not even be aware of".

"It is common for fans and followers to think that there is some secret recipe behind great performances. Truth is that sometimes matches go amazing while sometimes it’s not your day even with the best technical coach, fitness, counselling, nutrition, etc. This is especially true in sports like cricket which depend on many variables such as the pitch, opposite team, weather, decisions, etc. Therefore, rather than trying to find desi or videshi reasons for their favourite players performances fans should rather remember to support players when they sometimes perform badly as well because that is when most support is needed", Leitao signed off.