Mohammed Shami: Wasn't mentally prepared when I failed Yo-Yo test

The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster ride for India pacer Mohammed Shami From being dropped from the Test team for failing a fitness test in June 2018 to breaking into Indias squad for the upcoming World Cup on the basis of sheer performance life has had its share of ups and downs for Shami But the fast bowler doesnt believe in complainingConsidered an integral part of Indias redball attack in Test cricket Shami made headlines when he failed the YoYo test at the National Cricket Academy ahead of the oneoff Test against Afghanistan However the same bowler through his grit and determination forced the national selectors to bring him back into Indias ODI squad even as they tried other fast bowlers before handing Shami a comebackLife hasnt been a bed of roses for Shami but the fast bowler has not let anything come between him and his love for the gentlemans game and that shows even in his performance for Kings XI Punjab in this edition of the Indian Premier LeagueShami recounted the horror and also said that while everyone spoke about him failing the test not many realized that he wasnt even in the frame of mind to take the field at that point in timeI had some family problems at that point of time The fitness test didnt go well and I accept that I failed But then I wasnt even in that frame of mind where I could focus on the match against Afghanistan I wasnt mentally prepared and had to undergo the YoYo Test at that point in time and I flunked he explainedAsked if that bothered him as people suddenly started talking about how it could be the start of the end of his international journey Shami said he took it in his stride and realized that it was important to let his work do the talking rather than try and shut criticsPressure was there but I kept myself motivated and told myself that I have to work on my fitness and come back strongly I have reduced 1214 kilos since then and you can see that not just in my physical appearance but it also reflects in the rhythm and momentum that I have found in my bowling he pointedRhythm he has definitely found in recent times and that was evident in not just his spells in this IPL 19 wickets in 14 games but also in the ODI series that he played against Australia and New Zealand in January and then the home series against the Aussies in March leading up to the T20 leagueFor Shami it was all about reminding people that his whiteball record is just as enviable as his redball performancesI hadnt been playing whiteball cricket for a while but in the series against Australia I gained in confidence and just looked to keep that going even in the IPL Also playing consistently for KXIP also helped me Getting to play dayin dayout helps you perform and get the right momentumI was just waiting for an opportunity as I had a good record in whiteball cricket I waited for almost two years and I had it in mind that when I did get the chance I will show what I could doAlways knew that I can adapt to the shorter format and bowl the line and length required to succeed he revealedAsked if it was different to suddenly play under a bowler in R Ashwin Shami said that it was fun as Ashwin understood him wellIt has been fun and different A bowler understands the position of another bowler while a captain who is a batsman thinks from the point of view of a batsmanOur understanding is good as we have played together for a long time and know each others strengths and weaknesses Also I could go up to him and speak to him frankly about my thought process during a particular situation in the game he saidCatch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates